Nana Yaw, a Ghanaian entrepreneur, has shared his inspiring journey from humble beginnings to building a thriving printing and certification business that now earns over ₵1 million annually.
Speaking in an interview on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle with DJ Nyaami, Nana Yaw revealed that he began hustling long before university.
“I used to sell fried rice before going to university. After school, my friend and I started a company where we designed and printed pictures on magazines. Unfortunately, the business collapsed,” he said.
After that setback, Nana Yaw decided to learn a new skill.
“In December, I started working on billboards, and little by little, I learned sewing and printing. I completed KNUST in 2010, and I’ve never worked for anyone since. I started on my own, and at the beginning, I couldn’t even pay my workers,” he shared.
Today, his company is one of the few locally owned printing and production firms that handles certificates, books, and accessories, importing most of their raw materials from China.
“We import papers and other materials from China. If you don’t have the right connections and numbers, forget about this business,” he said.
Despite his success, Nana Yaw chooses to reinvest his profits instead of chasing luxury.
“Instead of buying luxury cars, I invested every cedi into my business. Now I make over ₵100,000 a month, and in a good year, more than ₵1 million,” he said proudly.
Nana Yaw explained that his mother once discouraged him from focusing on business, urging him to travel abroad instead — but he chose to stay and build.
“I told my mother to invest in my business, but she said I should rather look for a connection to travel. Nature was teaching me to learn the problems here and solve them. Now that I’ve made it, she wants to invest in my work,” he laughed.
He added that production in Ghana is tough, especially due to the high cost of machinery and raw materials, but his resilience has kept the business growing.
“Production isn’t easy, especially when you have to import raw materials. But I see money every day because I’ve built something real,” he said.
Nana Yaw’s company, Narti Innovations, produces certificates, diaries, exercise books, and other custom printing products, working with major clients — including Methodist University, who once sent him over ₵300,000 for a project.
He concluded by encouraging Ghanaian youth to stay focused and persistent:
“Many people who left for abroad have regretted it. I stayed, worked hard, and built something solid here. Start small and keep going — success will come.”
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