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Anthony Dzamefe eyes global recognition with Caveman watches
Anthony Dzamefe
From venturing into a business accidentally, Anthony Dzamefe has created the first African watch brand, Caveman and is set to compete on the global market.
Dzamefe in the last five years has carved a niche with his brand to compete with the best in the space.
In 2018, from a small shop at Adjiringanor in Accra, he nurtured and researched about the dream for nearly three years after which the maiden brand of Blue Caveman watches hit the market.
Five years later, Ghanaians have become familiar with watches.
But how did it all start?
In 2015, young Dzamefe, without any knowledge about watches, resigned from a hotel job and ventured into business.
He sold suits and petty items to make a living; but that did not last. With frustration setting in, he walked into a shop to get a watch with just GHȻ50 in hand but the watch was priced at GHȻ150, to his surprise.
Dzamefe walked away and decided to search online where he found a watch which he bought at GHȻ50 and posted on social media. Surprisingly, it attracted a buyer.
That birthed the idea to go into selling watches on the streets and university campuses in Accra to make a living.
The ambitious Dzamefe wanted more so he added to his portfolio the art of repairing the watches, making leather straps, breaking watches apart and essentially reverse engineering in order to come out with something since there was no African watch brand on the market amidst millions of watches sold across the continent.
After satisfying his curiosity on watches and creating a unique idea to promote his brand, the first product, the iconic Blue Volta model of about 50 pieces were produced under the Caveman brand.
The first 50 pieces took about two to three months to sell and Dzamefe restocked to produce more.
Dzamefe managed to demystify the idea that watches from Africa were inferior by conducting a survey to understand people’s preference for watches in order to sell faster.
He was intentional about going the extra mile to guarantee quality to make a statement on the market because “no one should regret ever buying my brand of watches; my buyers must rather become ambassadors.”
The plan was to run the business in five-year batches. Following a great first season in Ghana, Dzamefe is stepping into phase two, predominantly entering the global space (Dubai, UK,USA, Nigeria and other African and European countries).
The global approach demanded a showroom of international standards hence the recent opening of the grand showroom at East Legon.
Now, Dzamefe considers the brand ready for the competition in the global space, following the great work done on his products.
The brand had a few complications in terms of designs and lately implemented native elements into its designs to poke the sentiments of Africans and beyond.
It was, however, not without challenges as his mother did not accept the fact that his brilliant son who studied science at the Senior High School and could also become a banker had devoted his time to making watches.
There were also financial challenges as well as the challenge of working with people.
Aside producing watches, Dzamefe can also draw, write poems, play basketball, golf and piano among others.
With his talent, he is able to design his own watches, create commercials, write scripts for adverts, take photos and write a book.
Dzamefe started basic school from Mawuli Primary and went to St. Paul’s in 2007, all in the Volta Region. In 2009, he went to the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) where he did Business Management and later studied Business Administration.
He recently finished a Stone Setting course in Switzerland to enhance his production.
He has won several Awards including Emy Awards, Brand of the Year, Future of Ghana Award, 30 Under 30 Awards, Entrepreneur of the Year, Company of the Year, Product of the Year and also got recognised by the Office of the President for excellence in innovation.
By Michael D. Abayateye
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Youth urged to take proactive stance on ozone depletion
•Mr Joseph Amankwah, first counting from, some officials from EPA and UNDP in group picture with the student
Mr Joseph Amankwah, the Director of Ozone Layer and Climate Change at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has urged the youth to take a proactive stance on issues related to ozone depletion, emphasising that their future would be most affected by its consequences.
Speaking during a student engagement event at the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASS) in Koforidua, he highlighted the critical role young people played in tackling climate-related challenges.
Mr Amankwah explained that human activities, such as the use of certain chemicals, were significantly contributing to the depletion of the ozone layer and driving climate change.
He said it was important to educate the youth on these issues, encouraging them to share this knowledge with their families to foster a broader understanding and active participation in climate action.
He urged the education sector to integrate lessons on the ozone layer, the causes of its depletion, and its links to climate change into the curriculum.
The event, organised by the EPA in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was designed to foster environmental awareness and promote a sense of responsibility among young people.
Mr Amankwah noted that ozone layer depletion was affecting everyone, including children, as it alters weather patterns and threatens the natural environment.
He highlighted the need for young people to develop ‘green skills’ to adapt to the challenges of climate change and to understand ways to combat it.
He added that World Ozone Day, observed every September, would focus on youth engagement in environmental issues, to help them understand the long-term consequences of ozone depletion and climate change.
Mr Amankwah also discussed the harmful impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), a major chemical contributor to ozone depletion.
He explained that household appliances such as refrigerators and air conditioners were common sources of CFC emissions in Ghana.
Many uncertified technicians work on these appliances, often releasing harmful chemicals into the atmosphere due to improper handling, he noted.
To address this, he urged appliance repairers to obtain proper certification and training, emphasising that unqualified repairs not only harm the environment but also endangered public health.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman,
Koforidua
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Small-scale miners schooled on health hazards of mining with mercury
Mr Lovelace Sarpong (right) addressing the participants
Some Artisanal and Small-Scale Miners in the Ashanti and Central regions have been sensitised on the potential health dangers humans are exposed to with the use of mercury in gold processing.
The sensitisation which was organised by PlanetGOLD Ghana project was to raise awareness about the negative impacts on the use of mercury in mining activities.
According to the PlanetGOLD Ghana Project Coordinator, Mr Lovelace Sarpong, the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale mining pose health challenges that affects the nervous, digestive and immune systems, lungs and kidneys; and may be fatal.
Some Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) that benefited from the exercise were Amansie Central, Asante Akim North, Amansie South, Amansie West, Bekwai, and Adansi North in the Ashanti Region, and Upper Denkyira East (Dunkwa-on-Offin) and Upper Denkyira West (Diaso) in the Central Region.
Additionally, he said inorganic salts of mercury were corrosive to the skin, eyes and gastrointestinal tract, and may induce kidney toxicity if ingested.
He stated that the PlanetGOLD Project has conducted several initiatives to raise awareness on reducing mercury exposure among artisanal and small-scale gold mining actors in the country.
It was to promote mercury-free mining practices in line with Ghana’s obligations under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, support the formalisation of the ASGM sector while advocating the adoption of the CRAFT Code and responsible supply chains, and raise awareness on the availability of mercury-free alternatives.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Area Head for Konongo, Mr Dawood Abbas, underscored the importance of government’s environmental regulations and EPA’s role in ensuring compliance within the ASGM sector.
He encouraged miners to prioritise environmental stewardship to gain community trust and secure a Social License to Operate (SLO) and reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to enforce its commitments under the Minamata Convention.
BY Cecilia Lagba Yada
