Market research
in Ghana
Consumer research, customer experience, data intelligence, media intelligence and opinion: how IMMAR supports advertisers, agencies and institutions in the Ghanaian market since 1999.
The Ghanaian market at a glance
Ghana is one of West Africa's major English-speaking economies, driven by gold, cocoa and a developing oil sector. The country stands out for one of the continent's most mature mobile-money ecosystems: carried by operators such as MTN MoMo, mobile payment has become the main transaction channel and a consumption behaviour in its own right. Food retail remains largely informal, organised around major markets such as Makola in Accra or Kejetia in Kumasi, while modern retail (with regional chains such as Shoprite or Pick n Pay) grows mainly in the capital. Consumption is concentrated in the Accra area, Kumasi and Takoradi, with a growing urban middle class whose habits are evolving.
Conducting research in Ghana: what matters in the field
Running reliable research in the Ghanaian market means taking several realities into account:
- Survey languages: English is the official and business language, but general-public collection runs largely in local languages (Akan/Twi, Ga, Ewe, Dagbani) depending on the region. Every interview is administered in the language actually spoken.
- Omnipresent mobile money: mobile payment has become the main transaction channel, which makes it both a central object of study and a lever for mobile and telephone collection.
- Largely informal trade: most purchases happen in the major markets and from small neighbourhood shops, where trust and community ties weigh heavily. Shopper studies must cover these channels as much as modern retail.
- Urban concentration: modern consumption plays out largely in the Accra area, complemented by Kumasi and Takoradi, which shapes sampling plans.
- Commodity-based economy: reliance on gold, cocoa and oil makes purchasing power sensitive to price cycles and the exchange rate, a factor to build into the reading of behaviours.
The sectors IMMAR covers in Ghana
In the Ghanaian market, IMMAR supports players across several sectors, with set-ups tailored to each:
- FMCG: consumer understanding, brand tracking, retail execution
- Retail: mystery shopping, in-store experience, shopper studies
- Banking, finance and mobile money: trust, customer experience, mobile-payment adoption
- Telecommunications: customer experience, network quality, brand image
- Media: audience, editorial intelligence, ad monitoring
A response built around your question
Every assignment starts with a question, posed by an advertiser, an agency, an institution or a local player. That question shapes which expertise is brought to bear. IMMAR brings together five complementary areas:
| Area of expertise | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Consumer Research | Quantitative and qualitative studies, panels, U&A, segmentation: understanding local behaviours, needs and usage |
| Customer Experience | NPS, CSAT, mystery shopping, network audits: measuring the service quality actually delivered |
| Data Intelligence & AI | Data analysis and activation, decision dashboards, modelling |
| Media Intelligence | Media monitoring, audience measurement, ad monitoring, social listening |
| Opinion & Society | Barometers, opinion studies, societal and institutional dynamics |
A market research or Market Intelligence project in the Ghanaian market?
Talk to an IMMAR expertFrequently asked questions
How do you conduct market research in Ghana?
Administer instruments in English, the official language, while collecting in local languages (Akan/Twi, Ga, Ewe, Dagbani) depending on the region, combine face-to-face with mobile and telephone modes carried by high mobile-money penetration, and account for a largely informal trade organised around the major markets. IMMAR deploys local teams and long-standing field knowledge.
Which language should studies be conducted in, in Ghana?
English is the official and business language, but general-public data collection runs largely in local languages, foremost Akan (Twi), along with Ga, Ewe or Dagbani depending on the region. IMMAR administers each interview in the language the respondent actually speaks.
How does mobile money shape research in Ghana?
Mobile money, carried by operators such as MTN MoMo, has become the main payment channel in Ghana. It is both a central object of study (adoption, usage, satisfaction) and an effective lever for mobile and telephone collection. IMMAR factors this behaviour into study design and combines mobile, telephone and face-to-face collection depending on the target.
Why is the Ghanaian market strategic?
Ghana is one of West Africa's major English-speaking economies, driven by gold, cocoa and a developing oil sector. It is also one of the continent's most advanced mobile-money markets, where mobile payment has become the main transaction channel, while retail remains largely informal, organised around major markets such as Makola in Accra or Kejetia in Kumasi.
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