George Kyei is a Ghanaian entrepreneur based in Kumasi who recently toured Belgium and Germany—not for business, but simply to rest.
“I can’t relax in Ghana because clients are always calling me for work,” he explained. “So I come to Europe to rest. Your videos inspired me a lot.”
Unlike many who travel abroad to seek greener pastures, George visits Europe purely for holidays, thanks to his successful printing business in Ghana.
George began his journey in 2003 in Cape Coast, where he started with drawing and painting at a time when computers were not yet in wide use.
“I started opposite Mfantsipim School. Later, I realized I had to learn computers to stay relevant,” he said.
His dedication paid off, and he began training others. One of his students, Omisky, whom he saw interviewed, learned the trade under him. George eventually expanded his operations to Bekwai and later Kumasi.
“When I started, I had no one,” George recalled. “I couldn’t beg, so I had to make things work to survive.” He used to buy exam backdrops for UCC matriculations and take pictures, drawing people to his business from even Twifo Praso.
Although he built a house and opened a shop in Cape Coast, he eventually closed it due to the stress and relocated to Kumasi for better opportunities.
“I had machines in Cape Coast that people in Accra didn’t even have,” he noted.
He converted his home garage into a shop and began transporting advanced machines to Kumasi to better serve his customers.
At one point, George was invited abroad by a company that had trouble with a printing machine they bought from China.
“They paid for my ticket, visa, and hotel. When I got there, they gave me a chef,” he said.
The machine had a minor fault, and George fixed it easily. The company was so impressed that they booked him for five extra days and asked him to train others.
“I told them I didn’t come to train, so if they wanted training, they had to pay for it,” he said.
He quoted $500 for his service, and they ended up paying him $1,200. That opportunity led to jobs in Mozambique, Liberia, and even China, where he earned a certificate that allows him to represent their machines in Africa.
“Now, I sell machines and install them for free in Ghana. When people compare my prices to China’s, they buy from me instead,” he added.
George has trained many young men in Ghana to work in printing, but he laments that some Ghanaians don’t want to work hard. “They expect to succeed overnight, and some even cheat when given an opportunity. Ironically, those same people will go abroad and work like machines.”
According to George,
“Abrokyire” (life abroad) is not for people like him. “I’ve been doing this same printing work since 2003. I print t-shirts, cups, embroidery—you name it. Someone once sold all his properties just to travel, but if he had a visit visa, he wouldn’t have done that.”
He nearly relocated to the UK, but his wife stopped him.
“Someone told me that even if they mark you with 20 pounds, and you have the money, you’ll still use it to get a visa and go,” he said.
On one of his trips, he met a 69-year-old man in Belgium who had no papers and couldn’t return to Ghana.
“He’s just waiting to die. That’s not the life I want. Most of the truly wealthy people made it in Ghana and only visit abroad.”
George emphasized that his life in Ghana has brought him success.
“I’ve built houses, bought cars, and travel abroad yearly with my wife just for vacations. I have employees, and I’m content. Why would I go abroad and work under someone?”
He added,
“Abroad is good for those who are jobless or broke in Ghana. But when people get there and start condemning Ghana, I feel sad. Some even overstay their visit visas and never come back.”
George recently demolished his father’s old house and built a 7-bedroom house for his extended family.
“Now, no one can stress me. I’ve set everyone up. When I speak on social media, I say it with confidence.”
He concluded,
“Everyone wants to travel abroad to make it. But if you sell your house and land just to go abroad, you may never return. Meanwhile, some of us go just to rest — because we’ve already made it at home.”
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