The family behind Ghana's 'made to survive anything' car

A pastor is perhaps an unlikely candidate to become Ghana's first car manufacturer.

But that's what Kwadwo Safo, founder of the Christ Reformed Church, and who is known locally as the "Star of Africa", has done.

And the inventor has become something of a legend in Ghana.

Safo started his family business, Kantanka, 20 years ago, making electrical devices from TVs and sound systems to musical instruments and sewing machines in a country with virtually no history of manufacturing.

As a child he'd had a knack for building things, and before becoming a pastor he'd trained as a welder.

"(My father) had ambition and foresight. He thought of everything in preparation of Kantanka," says Safo's son, Kwadwo Safo Jr.

Today, Kantanka Group is split into an electronics division and a car manufacturing company -- Ghana's first car-maker.

KWADWO SAFO JNR IS THE CEO OF THE KANTANKA FAMILY CAR BUSINESS

Made in Ghana

The "made in Ghana" cars were modeled for tough local conditions -- and, to prove it, the Ghanaian police test drove them.

Safo Jr, 30, says he has learned a lot from his father.

"We are expanding our current production line to include a lower-end model which we will launch before the end of the year," he says.

"We have made quite significant sales, including a very important one to the office of the president."

source: http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/27/africa/ghana-kantanka-family-kwadwo-safo/index.html?sr=twcnni072716ghana-kantanka-family-kwadwo-safo1032AMStoryGalLink&linkId=26983369

VICE PRESIDENT STORMS ELWAK IN KANTANKA CAR

VICE PRESIDENT STORMS ELWAK IN KANTANKA CAR.

Vice President K. B. Amissah-Arthur on Saturday joined members of the Elwak Keep Fit Club for their annual Republic Day Health walk. Mr Amissah-Arthur arrived at the Elwak Stadium in his made in Ghana Kantanka Sport Utility Vehicle for the exercise which lasted nearly two hours.

The 17th Annual Republic Day health walk was to drum home the responsibility of all and sundry in ensuring a peaceful election.Vice President Amissah-Arthur charged the members of the keep fit clubs to be ambassadors of peace in their communities.The Vice President was accompanied on the walk by the Ministers of Youth and Sports, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye and Roads and Highways, Inusah Fuseini. The two hours and five minutes walk begun from the El-Wak Stadium, through 37, Kawukudi and Accra Girls SHS on the Olusegun Obasanjo Highway.The walk continued through Pigfarm, Kotobabi, New Town, Mamobi, Nima Roundabout then through the Nima Highway back on to the Olusegun Obasanjo Highway to EL-Wak.

The tempo for the walk was 40 minutes faster than that of last year. Mr Amissah-Arthur asked the participants in the keep fit walk for peaceful election to exhibit the same unity showed during the walk in their communities.He said as government and stakeholders are determined to jealously protect the country’s peace, citizens must play a complimentary role by being law abiding and also be prepared to report to the security agencies any incident that is likely to disturb the country’s peace before, during and after the election.

The Chairman of the El-Wak Keep Fit Club, organisers of the Republic Day Walk, Abdul Karim, did not mince words on the need for a peaceful co-existence.He therefore charged the security agencies, the Electoral Commission, Politicians and the citizenry to remain united for a prosperous Ghana.The Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye congratulated the Keep Fit Clubs on their commitment towards peace..

VEEP'S OFFICE ACQUIRES 2 KANTANKA VEHICLES.

VEEP'S OFFICE ACQUIRES 2 KANTANKA VEHICLES

The office of the Vice President, Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, has taken delivery of two four-wheel drives (4×4) from Kantanka Automobile Company Limited.

According to the Vice President, the decision to purchase the cars was an easy one, given the advantages from owning a wholly locally-made cars, including its affordability.
“It wasn’t a difficult decision at all, it was very easy. The cars have a certain quality. They compete favorably with the imported ones. They are also cheaper and there’s local availability of parts and expertise to fix them if there are any problems,” Amissah-Arthur said at a ceremony to hand over the vehicles at the Kantanka Automobile manufacturing plant site in the Central Region.

Amissah-Arthur stated that, the acquisition of the cars demonstrated the Mahama administration’s continued commitment to promoting local entrepreneurs.

“It is consistent with this government to support domestic enterprise so it was on that basis that we decided to acquire a few of them for the use of my office,” he said.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kantanka Automobile Company Ltd, Kwadwo Safo, expressed his gratitude to the vice president.

source: http://citifmonline.com/2016/07/13/veeps-office-acquires-two-kantanka-vehicles/

ABIBIMAN NSOROMMA (STAR OF AFRICA)

Wednesday, 27 July 2016

The family behind Ghana's 'made to survive anything' car

The family behind Ghana's 'made to survive anything' car

A pastor is perhaps an unlikely candidate to become Ghana's first car manufacturer.

Made in Ghana

VICE PRESIDENT STORMS ELWAK IN KANTANKA CAR

VICE PRESIDENT STORMS ELWAK IN KANTANKA CAR.

Vice President K. B. Amissah-Arthur on Saturday joined members of the Elwak Keep Fit Club for their annual Republic Day Health walk. Mr Amissah-Arthur arrived at the Elwak Stadium in his made in Ghana Kantanka Sport Utility Vehicle for the exercise which lasted nearly two hours.

VEEP'S OFFICE ACQUIRES 2 KANTANKA VEHICLES.