South African Company To Invest In Ghana

A South African multi-national company has expressed interest in investing in Ghana's economy, especially in the areas of housing, water supply, energy, oil and gas and information and communications technology (ICT).

The Guma Group, an African-owned group of companies, has decided to explore avenues of partnership with Ghanaian entrepreneurs for joint projects.

This was the outcome of a series of meetings held between the Ghana Government delegation led by Vice-President John Dramani Mahama, and the Guma Group headed by its Group Executive Chairman, Mr Robert Matana Gumede, in Johannesburg, South Africa last Monday.

The Ghanaian delegation included the Minister of the Interior, Mr William Kofi Aboah, and a Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Nii Nortey Dua.

The Guma Group of companies, initiated by a South African global entrepreneur, Mr Robert Matana Gumede, operate throughout Africa and in Brazil, the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Speaking at a meeting with officials of the Guma Group, the Vice-President noted that the group had solutions across all the various sectors, including housing, water supply, ICT and security.

Therefore, he said, the government was looking at the proposal of the Guma Group for its intended investment in Ghana.

South Africa is already into banking, mining and trading in Ghana. The Stanbic Bank and the Game Shopping Mall are examples of South African investments in Ghana.

Mr Mahama said the government was also exploring the possibility of increasing the participation of Ghanaian entrepreneurs in South Africa.

That, he said, was necessary to balance the trade between Ghana and South Africa.

The Vice-President stressed the need for African countries to increase trade among themselves and reduce the dependency on European, American and Asian investors.

“As a continent we have to rely on each other rather than look outside for trade,” he stressed.

The Group Executive Chairman of Guma Group, Mr Robert Matana Gumede, said the group would come to Ghana to identify local entrepreneurs it would team up with in the execution of the projects.

He said the group would bring “tailored solution” to address the housing, water supply, energy and ICT needs of Ghanaians.

The Chief Executive Officer of Gijima Technology People, a subsidiary ICT company of Guma Group, Mr Jonas Bogoshi, said the company would provide solution that could be used to improve the financial, revenue, land and security challenges in Ghana.