TOP 100 MOST SUCCESSFUL GHANAIANS IN
THE UK
Ghanaians in the United Kingdom are one of the most resourceful,
intelligent, educated, hardworking and successful nationalities that
make up the multi-cultural society of the United Kingdom.
Businesses owned by Ghana- born or British Ghanaian entrepreneurs are
becoming an important part of the UK business sector, particularly in
London. Ghanaians /British Ghanains-owned businesses make up a part of
the 16,000 Black-owned businesses London – and contribute to the £10
billion sales turnover generated by the Capital’s African and Caribbean
owned businesses.
And according to stastisic 63.70% of recent Ghanaian immigrants to the
UK of working age are employed (compared to 73.49% for British born
people regardless of race or ethnic background). 17.19% of recent
immigrants are low earners, which is pay less than £149.20 a week
(compared to 21.08% for British-born people), and 3.13% are high
earners, which is more than £750 per week (compared to 6.98% for
British-born people). The percentages for settled immigrants are
slightly different, 69.51% are employed, with 15.04% being low earners
and 5.31% high earners.
Some of the UK prominent Ghanaian/British Ghanaian business people are:
Adam Afriyie - multi-millionaire British-born businessman, non executive
Chairman of Adfero Ltd (an information service company), and
conservative MP for Windsor. He was founder of Connect Service- an IT
service company pioneering fixed-price support. He is reputed to be
worth £40 million. Oswald Boateng - a menswear designer widely credited
with introducing Savile Row tailoring to a new generation. The
British-born Ghanaians also designs clothes for a celebrity clientele,
including Mick Jagger, Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and Lawrence Fishbone.
Elsie Owusu- founder and principal of a successful London-based
Architect practice. Her firm has won many major commissions including
housing developments across the UK, design strategy for the UK Supreme
Court and a range of developments in Ghana and Nigeria Emelia Bartels-
director of Excel Consulting, a successful marketing and event
management company. Emelia is the founder of prestigious Ghana
Professional Achievement (GPA) awards which showcase successful Ghanaian
professionals and businesses in the UK. Frances Williams – Founder and
CEO of Interims for Developments, a company which specialises in
recruiting African professionals to take up post in the continent. Sam
Gyimah - founder and CEO of Clearstone, one of the fastest growing HGV
(Heavy Goods Vehicle) recruitment company in Britain. The company
currently employs over 30 people. Ed Yeboah -founder and CEO of
Proactive Capital, a financial service company based in the City of
London, UK’s most prestigious business and financial district Bernard
Apaw – The Ghanaian- born businessman is the founder and CEO of OBE TV- a
24 hour satellite TV Channel targeted mainly at Ghanains and other
African communities. It current has an audience of 8 million Kofi
Kusitor - Founder of the UK talk radio station, Colourful radio and the
internationally renowned Black Enterprise awards.
Ghanaians in England reside in the London boroughs of Waltham Forest,
Barnet, Haringey, Brent, Havering, Hounslow and Croydon. Specific
districts of concentration include Walthamstow, Pollards Hill,
Tottenham, Hendon and Hounslow. Outside London, there are also sizable
populations in Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Bracknell,
Manchester, and Birmingham. Ghanaians in Wales reside in Cardiff and
Swansea. Ghanaians in Scotland reside in Glasgow.
Check out the following 100 selected successful Ghanaians who are doing
exteremely well and flying the flag of Ghana high in the United Kingdom
compiled by Ola Babatunde… Enjoy
1: Paul Yaw Boateng, Baron Boateng (born 14 June 1951) born to a
Scottish mother and a Ghanaian father. He is a British Labour Party
politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Brent South from
1987 to 2005, becoming the UK's first black Cabinet Minister in May
2002, when he was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
Following his departure from the House of Commons, he served as the
British High Commissioner to South Africa from March 2005 to May 2009.
He was introduced as a member of the House of Lords on 1 July 2010.
2: Ozwald Boateng OBE (born 28 February 1967) is an English
fashion designer of Ghanaian descent, known for his trademark twist on
classic British tailoring and bespoke style.
Ozwald Boateng was the first tailor to present a collection on the Paris
catwalk. At the end of 1994, Ozwald Boateng has opened his first store
on Vigo Street, just off Savile Row, and became the youngest and first
black tailor to have a store on the row.
3: Samuel Phillip Gyimah (born 10 August 1976) A is a British
Conservative Party politician. He was elected as the Member of
Parliament (MP) for East Surrey at the 2010 general election.
In September 2012, Gyimah replaced Desmond Swayne as parliamentary
private secretary to the Prime Minister, David Cameron.He was educated
at Achimota School in Ghana and later Freman College,] a state school in
Hertfordshire, followed by Somerville College at the University of
Oxford, where he read Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and where he
was elected President of the Oxford Union. On graduation, Gyimah joined
Goldman Sachs as an investment banker, leaving the company in 2003 to
set up his own businesses in the recruitment and internet sectors.[1] In
2005, he was awarded the Real Business/CBI Entrepreneur of the Future
award.
4: David Adjaye, the Ghanaian-British architect chosen to design
Washington DC’s Smithsonian National Museum of African American History
and Culture, is currently one of the UK’s most successful talents. This
year he topped the PowerList 2013, naming him Britain’s most influential
black figure, coming in ahead of Olympic star Mo Farah and actor Idris
Elba.
5: Elsie Owusu OBE is an award winning Ghanaian-British
Architect, specialising in regeneration, art into architecture and
transport design. She is a Partner at Feilden+Mawson LLP (F+M) and
principal of her own practice.
6: Anita Amma Ankyewah Asante (born 27 April 1985, in London) is
an English football defender or midfielder currently playing for
Göteborg FC in Sweden's Damallsvenskan. She has made more than 50
appearances for the English national team and was selected in the Great
Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics.
Asante has also played for English sides Arsenal Ladies and Chelsea Ladies. Asante is of Ghanaian descent.
7: Komla Dumor is the main presenter of the BBC World News
programme Focus on Africa. His grandfather was Philip Gbeho, composer of
the Ghanaian national anthem.
Dumor joined the BBC African Service in 2006 as host of the radio
programme Network Africa. From 2008 to 2012 he presented The World Today
on the BBC World Service.] In 2011 Dumor began presenting the World
News and Africa Business Report on BBC World News television.
8: Adam Afriyie (born 4 August 1965) is a British Conservative
Party politician, and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Windsor. He was
first elected at the 2005 general election and re-elected at the 2010
election. The son of an English mother and a Ghanaian father.
9: Rhiannon Afua "Rhian" Benson (born 10 January 1977) is a
Ghanaian-British soul and jazz singer and songwriter. Benson was born in
Accra, Ghana to a Welsh mother, who was a singer, and an Ashanti
father, who was a guitarist.
10: Mavis Amankwah (born 28 August 1974) is a British-Ghanaian
businesswoman specialising in Marketing, Public Relations, Diversity
Communications and Business Sustainability.
In 2002, Amankwah set up the communications arm of Rich Visions after
noticing a gap between large corporations/companies and traditionally
hard-to-reach ethnic communities in the UK. As well as Rich Visions,
Amankwah has several other businesses to her name.
Amankwah has been listed in PR Week's PowerBook for five consecutive years between 2009-2013.
11: Samata Angel (born Samata Elizabeth Catherine Abudulai on 23
January) is a British-Ghanaian fashion entrepreneur, author and
designer. Samata's Muse womenswear clothing label has been worn by the
likes of Dawn Angeliqué Richard and Jennifer Lopez, with press to date
including Vogue, Company, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Fashion United, Look
Magazine (UK), Pride Magazine, ITN, London Lite, Fashion Africa, Red
Magazine, The Daily Telegraph and Fashion Capital. Samata went on to set
up her own brand and came under the public eye when she made history by
becoming the first British female to show during the Nolcha Fashion
Week in New York and she has since gone on to become the Red Carpet
Green Dress 2011 Best Dress Winner. As of December 2010 Samata became a
member of Courvoisier's exclusive member only community, the Future 500.
12: Jaye Davidson (born Alfred Amey; March 21, 1968) is an
Ghanian born and half American-British former actor and model. He is
best known for his roles as trans woman "Dil" in the 1992 suspense-drama
thriller film The Crying Game, for which he received an Academy Award
nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, (making him the first
Mixed Race British actor to be nominated for an Oscar), and in 1994's
Stargate as Ra.[
13: Kofi Kusitor - Founder of the UK talk radio station, Colourful radio and the internationally renowned Black Enterprise awards.
14: Sonnie Badu is one of the most successful Gospel artist in
the UK and he has sang alongside the likes of international gospel
artists such as Juanita Bynum, Lionel Peterson, Alvin Slaughter, Noel
Robinson, Muyiwa, Sammy Okposu, Mike Aremu and other gospel ministers.
In March 2008 “Africa Worships with Sonnie Badu” was launched. It is a
concert which teams up with a charity to raise awareness and aid for
those in need.
15: Ghanaian songstress
Stephanie Benson is also another
success story in the UK. She has collaborated with other international
writer/artists including the likes of Andy Hill (Bucks Fizz), Terry
Britton (Tina Turner) Danny Schogger (Celine Dion), Wayne Vaughn (Earth
Wind and Fire), Rob Davis (Kylie Minogue), and Stevie Wonder among
others. She has on more than one occasion been invited by Britain's
royal family and HRH Prince Charles, who, the first time he heard
Stephanie perform, told her, "You are one of the most amazing performers
I've ever seen".
16: Michael Essien , Chealse f/c (Ghanaian mother and father)
17: Eric Osei The author is a Senior Business Development Manager
at the London Development Agency- the business, investment and economic
development agency for London. He has received national and
international awards for his work on business and economic development
18: Bernard Ampaw, founder of 24 hour satelite TV channel, OBE TV
Terry Baddoo , CNN International news reporter and Columnist for World Football Insider (English mother and a Ghanaian father)
19: Gena West, is a talented singer and an accomplished actress and
television presenter. She is Founder and Principal of Stage 2 Stage
Performing Arts School in London, helping children to grow in confidence
by
She has performed with world famous singers including Shirley
Bassey and opera diva Jessye Norman. She was offered the lead role of
Queen Sarabi in Disney’s West End musical, “The Lion King”.
20: Frances Mensah Williams , Human Resources, Career and Training Consultancy (Ghanaian mother and father)
21: Kwasi Alfred Addo Kwarteng (born 26 May 1975) is a Ghanaian
born British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he has
served as a Member of Parliament (MP) since 2010 representing the
constituency of Spelthorne in Surrey.
22: Edward Kwasi Martin, better known as Eddie Martin or Kwasi
Jones Martin, is an English musician, songwriter and producer. Martin is
the founding member of several production teams and recording groups.
He has written and produced for a number of artists, and has his own
publishing label called Monastery Music Group.
23: Dolores B. Harding (née Mantey; 1936—30 November 2012), known
professionally as Dolores Mantez, was a British television actress of
the 1960s and early 1970s, best known for her appearances in Gerry
Anderson's science-fiction TV series UFO. She was born in Liverpool to a
Ghanaian father and an Irish mother.
24: Nana Afua Antwi (born 25 November 1988 ) is a British Fashion
model originated from Ghana. She emerged in the modeling spotlight when
she won Britain's Top Model of Colour contest November 27, 2010. Nana
Afua was raised in Kumasi Ashanti Region. She is the daughter of Akosua
Odei also known as (Doris Kwarteng) a self-employed business woman who
passed December 7, 1994 and Kofi Antwi, enterprenuer. She attended
Cambridge International School in Kumasi and graduated in 1999.
25: Emelia Bartels- is director of Excel Consulting, a successful
marketing and event management company. Emelia is the founder of
prestigious Ghana Professional Achievement (GPA) awards which showcase
successful Ghanaian professionals and businesses in the UK.
Others are....
26: Danny Welbeck , Manchester United F.C. and England national football team (Ghanaian mother and father
)
27: Emmanuel Frimpong , Professional footballer for Arsenal FC and the Ghana national football team (Ghanaian mother and father)
28: James Harper, Professional footballer for Hull City A.F.C. (Ghanaian mother and English father)
29: Rachel Yankey, MBE , Profesional female footballer for
Arsenal L.F.C. and the England women's national football team (English
mother, Ghanaian father)
30: Ama K. Abebrese a former British television presenter ( Now with
Viasat 1 TV Ghana) , producer and actress of Akan origin. In 2011 she
won the African Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Ama K. Abebrese is an Award winning Actress, TV Presenter and TV
Producer, with a wealth of experience in Film, Television and Media. As a
seasoned TV presenter, she has interviewed international celebrities
such as Harrison Ford, Neyo, Ziggy Marley, Akon, Rihanna, Idris Elba and
Star Wars director George Lucas
31: Arthur Wharton, The first black professional association
football player in the world (Ghanaian mother and a half-Grenadian and
half-Scottish father)
32: Lord Bernard Ribeiro, Kt / CBE , Surgeon who is President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (Ghanaian mother and father)
33: Dorothy, is an accomplished fashion consultant. She was trained as
a journalist and practiced for three years in Ghana before moving to
London about 10 years ago. In London she changed jobs and went into credit
control roles and after about seven years, she decided to go into fraud
investigation.
Despite this big career change, she also have a very
big and great passion for STYLING. Her favourite aspects of styling is
accessorizing. From choosing necklaces, earrings, brooches, corsages,
scarves, hats, bangles,shoes and handbags for an outfit. after a few
years of research she realized she had to turn this big passion of mine,
into reality. That was how Style Check BY DEE, a fashion consultancy
firm in the UK was founded.
34: Adjoa Andoh, Film, television, stage and voice actress. (Ghanaian mother and father)
35: Nigel Quashie , Professional footballer and only the second
black player to represent Scotland in football, and the first since
Andrew Watson in 1881 (English mother and a Ghanaian father)
36: Hugh Quarshie , Actor (Half-Dutch and half-English mother and a Ghanaian father)
37: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey , Sprinter (Ghanaian mother and father)
38: Jeanette Kwakye , Sprinter (Ghanaian mother and father)
39: Finley Quaye , Musician (Scottish mother and a half-Ghanaian, half-Dutch and half-English father)
40: Caleb Quaye, Rock guitarist and musician (Scottish mother and a half-Ghanaian, half-Dutch and half-English father)
41: Cab Kaye , Jazz musician (Half-Dutch and half-English mother and a Ghanaian father)
42: Joe Casely-Hayford, OBE , Fashion designer (Ghanaian mother and father)
43: Dr. Gus Casely-Hayford , Executive Director (CEO) of Arts
Strategy for Arts Council England, Curator and cultural historian
(Ghanaian mother and father)
44: Sway DaSafo , Musician (Ghanaian mother and father)
45: Clare-Hope Ashitey, Actress (Ghanaian mother and father)
46: Oxide & Oxide & NeutrinoNeutrino , Musician (Ghanaian mother and father)
47: Belinda Owusu , Actress (English mother and Ghanaian father)
48: William Vanderpuye , Actor and renowned Voice-over artist (Ghanaian mother and Dutch father)
49: Kwasi "Tinchy Stryder" Danquah , Rapper, Music executive, Businessman and Multimillionaire (Ghanaian mother and father)
50: Dylan "Dizzee Rascal" Mills, Rapper and Music executive (Ghanaian mother, Nigerian father)
51: Adrien Sauvage , Fashion designer, Film director and Photographer (Ghanaian mother and father)
52: Idris Elba , Television, Theatre, and Film actor (Ghanaian mother, Sierra Leonean father)
53: Freema Agyeman, Television and Film actress (Iranian mother and Ghanaian father)
54: Ian "Donae'o" Greenidge, Rapper, singer, and musician known for his hit single "Party Hard." (Ghanaian mother and father)
55: June Sarpong, MBE, Television presenter (Ghanaian mother and father)
56: Pops Mensah-Bonsu , Professional basketball player for
Beşiktaş Milangaz and the Great Britain national basketball team
(Ghanaian mother and father)
57: Eric Boateng , Professional basketball player for Peristeri BC and the Great Britain national basketball team (Ghanaian mother and father)
58: Matty Blythe , Professional rugby league player for Warrington Wolves (Ghanaian mother and English father)
59: Dennis Tuffour , Professional rugby league player for York City Knights (Ghanaian mother and a half-Finnish and half-English father)
60: Alex Sawyer , Actor (Ghanaian mother and English father)
61: Lloyd Sam, Professional footballer for Leeds United AFC (Ghanaian mother and father)
62: Ras Kwame , Radio DJ and Radio presenter (Ghanaian mother and father)
63: Abrantee Boateng , Radio DJ, TV Presenter and Club DJ (Ghanaian mother and father)
64: Joey Ansah , Actor and martial artist (Ghanaian mother and father)
65: The Mitchell Brothers , Musician (Ghanaian mother and father)
66: Peter Mensah , Actor (Ghanaian mother and father)
67: Guvna B , Musician (Ghanaian mother and father)
68: Ekow Eshun, rtistic director of the Institute of
Contemporary Arts (London), journalist, writer, and broadcaster
(Ghanaian mother and father)
69: Amma Asante , Writer and Film director (Ghanaian mother and father)
70: William Boyd, CBE, Novelist and Screenwriter (Half-Ghanaian and Half-Scottish mother and a Scottish father)
71: Daniel Boateng , Professional footballer (Ghanaian mother and father)
72: Reggie Yates, Actor, television presenter and radio DJ (Ghanaian mother and father)
73: Paul Sackey, Professional rugby union player for Stade Français and the
England national rugby union team (Ghanaian mother and father)
74: Jeffrey Schlupp , Professional footballer for Leicester City FC and the Ghana national football team (Ghanaian mother and father)
75: Lisa I'Anson , Broadcaster and VJ (Ghanaian mother and Danish father)
76: Efua Dorkenoo, OBE, Campaigner (Ghanaian mother and father)
77: Chris Dickson , Professional footballer for AEL Limassol (Ghanaian mother and a Jamaican father)
78: Melvin O'Doom , Comedian, radio DJ and television presenter (Ghanaian mother and father)
79: Edward Enninful , Fashion and Style-Director of W magzine(Ghanaian mother and father)
80: Albert Adomah , Professional footballer for Bristol City FC and the Ghana national football team (Ghanaian mother and father)
81: Patrick Agyemang , Professional footballer for Queens Park Rangers FC and the Ghana national football team (Ghanaian mother and father)
82: Nana Richard Abiona (born London, 1988), known by his stage name Fuse ODG, is a British musician of Ghanaian descent.
83: Owsun Abrebrese, BA, LLM, Barrister at law, Immigration Judge Ghanaian mother and father)
84: Kwame "JJ" Adjeman-Pamboe , Professional footballer (Ghanaian mother and father)
85: Harry Leslie Aikines-Aryeetey, Sprinter (Ghanaian mother and father)
86 Ian Greenidge, better known by his stage name Donae'o; meaning
Gift From God), is an English singer and rapper of Ghanaian and
Guyanese descent from North-West London. He is well known for his
single, "Party Hard".
87: Christopher Matthew "Chris" Dickson , English-born Ghanaian international footballer, of Ghanaian and Jamaican descent
88: Joseph Kpobie, actor, (English mother and Ghanaian father)
89: Richard Offiong Professional footballer (Scottish mother and Ghanaian father)
90: Holly Quin-Ankrah , actress (English mother and Ghanaian father)
91: Finley Quaye (born 25 March 1974, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a
Scottish musician of Ghanaian descent. He won the 1997 Mobo Award for
best reggae act, and the 1998 BRIT Award for Best Male Solo Artist.
92: Abdul Salis , actor, He is a son of Ghanaian parents who moved to London in 1975.
93: Taiye Selasi is a writer and photographer of Nigerian and
Ghanaian origin. Selasi was born in London, England, the elder of twin
daughters. Taiye means first twin in her mother's native Yoruba. Selasi
means "God has heard" in her father's native Ewe
94: Osei Omari Kwende Sankofa, British footballer. His Ghanian father was born in Jamaica and his mother was born in England of Jamaican.
95: Ohema Ohene, British Fashion designer (Ghanaian mother and father
)
96: Osei Omari Kwende Sankofa, British footballer. His Ghanian father was born in Jamaica and his mother was born in England of Jamaican.
97: Sam Ankrah is a UK based Investment Broker and the C.E.O of Gamank investment group. (Ghanaian mother and father)
98: Arnold Sarfo-Kantanka Global Poverty Ambassador for London Borough of Croydon (Ghanaian mother and father)
99: Bruce Fummey is a Scottish stand-up comedian whose routines are
known for their irreverent presentations of traditional Scottish
culture. The son of a Ghanaian father and a Scottish mother.
100: John Akomfrah, OBE, Film director and screenwriter (mother and father)
