Rexford, a Ghanaian currently living in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, has been abroad for nearly two years. Originally from Techiman, he spent most of his life in Accra, where he sold socks on the streets for 15 years.
“I used to take socks from Chinese suppliers and go around selling them. It was a good business. I could make about GHC 2,000 in profit every week,” Rexford said in an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide.
He emphasized that there’s money to be made in Ghana.
“I used the money I made from selling socks to invest in several businesses back home,” he revealed. These include a barbershop with five employees, an over-the-counter drugstore with two workers, and a pharmacy with one employee.
“I even bought a Toyota Fish (a commercial vehicle), which I sold four months before moving to Canada,” he added.
Rexford is married with two children. His decision to leave Ghana was driven by fear for the future and a desire to secure a better life for his family.
“I was scared. If one day I woke up and couldn’t walk, I wouldn’t be able to sell socks anymore. I needed something more stable for my kids’ future.”
Despite owning a barbershop, Rexford admitted he didn’t know how to cut hair himself.
“If the boys left, I’d have to shut it down. I planned to learn barbering, but I never got the time because I was working so much.”
He also managed the pharmacy business with the help of a physician assistant and a pharmacist.
Rexford had high hopes when moving to Canada, which he saw as a land of opportunity. However, the beginning was rough.
“I came here without knowing anyone. I reached out to some YouTubers, but they didn’t help. Eventually, my brother found someone to assist me.”
Though he had a place to stay, Rexford struggled for a month to find work. He eventually walked into a mechanic shop and asked to learn.
“They said they wouldn’t pay me, and I accepted. I worked during the day to learn and searched for paid jobs at night to cover my rent.”
His dedication paid off. After a while, the shop started giving him $250 per week. With rent costing $500 monthly, this allowed him to also cover groceries.
“By the third week, my boss returned, and they even started picking me up and dropping me off at work,” he said.
Rexford’s story is a powerful example of resilience, the value of skilled work, and how humble beginnings can lead to a better future—both in Ghana and abroad.
Currently, I have two job offers from other shops. I want to challenge myself and explore opportunities beyond my comfort zone. One place brought me a Hyundai Sonata to fix steering and brake issues, offering to pay me $170 a day. That amounts to about $4,700 a month, which shows I’m doing quite well. I wanted to leave, but my brother advised me to inform them in advance so they could find a replacement. As a result, they’ve increased my salary to match the offer.
I started as an apprentice and need to complete 7,000 hours to qualify for the Red Seal exam and get my official certification. I work throughout the week. Back in Ghana, I used to walk with socks on foot and sell items—it was tough. Being a mechanic here is much more comfortable.
I have better offers now, but I still want to stay here and grow. Life back in Ghana was more difficult. Here, skilled work is respected. Even if someone is a cleaner, they are appreciated. However, office and warehouse jobs are scarce, which makes things hard sometimes. I feel sad when my kids want to see me, and I pray I get the documents to bring them here. If I had all my paperwork in place, I wouldn’t stay in Canada for more than a year without them.
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