Afreximbank backs Ghana’s farm-to-fashion value chain

Afreximbank’s partnership with Plot Enterprise Ghana is placing cocoa processing, rural employment and African creative exports at the centre of a wider push to keep more value from the continent’s resources within local economies.

The collaboration, highlighted through the bank’s impact programming, links Ghana’s cocoa belt to global markets at a time when volatile cocoa prices, climate shocks and financing strains are reshaping one of West Africa’s most important agricultural sectors. Plot Enterprise, based in Takoradi in Ghana’s Western Region, processes cocoa beans into liquor, butter, cake and powder, helping move the country beyond raw-bean exports into higher-margin industrial activity.

Ghana remains one of the world’s two largest cocoa producers, alongside Côte d’Ivoire, yet the long-standing structure of the trade has left farmers and processors exposed to swings in international markets. Most cocoa beans from West Africa still leave the region with limited value addition, while a larger share of profits is captured by grinders, confectionery companies and retailers closer to consumer markets.

Plot Enterprise’s model is aimed at narrowing that gap. Its plant in Takoradi benefits from proximity to cocoa-growing districts and the port, allowing it to source beans locally and serve overseas buyers. The company’s operations support direct and indirect employment across farming, transport, processing, logistics and export services. Financing support from Afreximbank has helped strengthen working capital, improve plant utilisation and expand the company’s ability to meet supply commitments.

The timing is significant. Cocoa markets have endured sharp price swings after poor harvests, crop disease, ageing trees and erratic rainfall disrupted supplies across West Africa. Chocolate makers and retailers have passed on part of the higher cost to consumers, while farmers have not always benefited fully from price spikes because of fixed-price systems, delayed payments and rising production costs. Ghana’s cocoa sector has also faced pressure from smuggling, illegal mining near farming areas and liquidity challenges among licensed buyers.

Against that backdrop, local processing is gaining policy urgency. Ghana has set ambitions to increase the share of cocoa processed domestically, with the aim of creating jobs, improving foreign-exchange earnings and reducing exposure to raw commodity cycles. Processing alone does not solve the income challenge facing farmers, but it can support a broader industrial ecosystem if linked to fair procurement, reliable payments, sustainability standards and access to export finance.

Afreximbank’s role fits into its wider mandate of promoting intra-African trade, industrialisation and export diversification. The bank has been expanding support for agribusiness, manufacturing, creative industries and cross-border value chains under a strategy that seeks to turn African production capacity into branded, tradable goods. Its backing for cocoa processors such as Plot Enterprise complements its support for fashion, textiles and cultural businesses through platforms such as the Creative Africa Nexus programme.

That connection gives the “farm to fashion week” framing a broader meaning. It reflects a development approach that treats agriculture, manufacturing and creative enterprise as linked sectors rather than separate industries. Cocoa processing demonstrates how raw materials can be transformed closer to source, while African fashion brands show how design, branding and cultural identity can command higher value in global markets.

Ghanaian fashion label Boyedoe’s appearance on an international runway under Afreximbank-backed creative initiatives has become part of that wider narrative. The brand’s global exposure underlines how creative businesses can turn local craft, textiles and design into exportable intellectual property. For policymakers, the lesson is that African economies can capture more value not only by producing commodities, but by owning more of the processing, branding, distribution and storytelling around them.

The challenge remains scale. Cocoa processors in Ghana have complained of bean shortages when supply chains tighten, while high financing costs and delayed sector payments can affect factory operations. Power costs, logistics bottlenecks, certification requirements and buyer concentration also influence competitiveness. For fashion and textile enterprises, access to capital, production infrastructure and international distribution remain persistent hurdles.

Afreximbank’s intervention therefore comes at a sensitive moment for commodity-dependent economies seeking more resilient growth. The bank’s support for Plot Enterprise gives Ghana’s cocoa sector an example of how targeted finance can help sustain domestic processing capacity. Its creative-sector initiatives offer another route for value creation, particularly for small and medium-sized firms seeking to reach global consumers.