Part 5

Customers and digital acquisition

Reaching local and diaspora customers without opening a shop first.

You do not need a physical shop to start. Digital channels let you reach local and diaspora customers directly while you learn what they want.

Who might buy

• Health-conscious urban customers in cities such as Accra and Kumasi who already like to look at what is in their food.
• Customers who are reducing refined carbohydrates for their own reasons, whatever those reasons are. Do not market the product as treatment for any condition.
• People from the African diaspora abroad who want familiar foods in a form that fits how they eat now.

These are hypotheses, not findings. Test them by talking to real people and by looking at who actually orders.

A phased route to market

1. Phase 1, local and diaspora online: your own simple website or order page, short preparation videos on social media, WhatsApp Business for order taking and customer service, and online communities of the diaspora.
2. Phase 2, health-focused retail: health-food shops, wellness centres and similar outlets that already serve customers looking at what they eat.
3. Phase 3, wider retail: supermarkets, which need barcodes and a distributor relationship, then other African markets and diaspora retail partners.

Food influencers can shape what people try, especially when their content is credible. Do not depend on one person. Build a small network of micro-influencers in food, health and lifestyle, send them samples and give each a clear brief: show the preparation, show the meal, share the story.

Content that tends to work includes preparation videos ("your favourite swallow, with fewer carbs"), mission stories about buying vegetables farmers could not sell, behind-the-scenes clips of drying and packing, and variant comparisons. Use real customer testimonials only with permission and keep them factual, without health promises.

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