Twitter joins the likes of Facebook and other tech companies to move into Africa, after Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, via a tweet, announced that the company would be setting up a presence in Africa, Ghana.
“Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you, Ghana and Nana Akufo-Addo,” Jack Dorsey said.
Twitter in Ghana
To support its move into the country, the company in a statement has announced it will recruit people in Ghana to undertake several roles from product and engineering to design, marketing, and communications. However, the hired individuals will be working from home as Twitter makes plans to establish an office in the country later.
“Today, in line with our growth strategy, we’re excited to announce that we are now actively building a team in Ghana,” the company said in a statement.
“Aligned with our existing WFH policies, we look forward to welcoming and onboarding our new team members remotely so that we can make an immediate impact while we explore the opportunity to open an office in Ghana in the future,” it further said.
In response, Nana Akufo Addo said “The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is excellent news. Government and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country.”
Nana Akufo Addo also revealed he held a virtual meeting with Dorsey on the 7th of April, where the two parties might have finalized the deal.
Beginning of a Partnership
“As I indicated to Jack in our virtual meeting on 7th April 2021, this is the start of a beautiful partnership between Twitter and Ghana, which is critical for the development of Ghana’s hugely important tech sector. These are exciting times to be in and to do business in Ghana,” Akufo Addo added.
The news to establish in Africa comes almost 18 months after Jack Dorsey’s tour in Africa with his Twitter team in 2019. During his tour, Dorsey and his team visited Ghana, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and South Africa, where he met with various industry leaders and tech stakeholders on matters concerning Twitter and bitcoin.
Why Twitter chose Ghana
According to Twitter, Ghana was chosen because the country supported “free speech, online freedom, the open Internet,” as well as the establishment of the headquarters of the AfCFTA Secretariat in the country.
“As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate. Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa.”
