3 Hidden-Gem Shopping Spots in Accra, Ghana

Accra has no shortage of places to shop, but some of the city’s most interesting finds are not inside the major shopping centers or tourist markets. Ghanaian designers, craftspeople, entrepreneurs, and retailers are creating a growing shopping scene filled with locally made fashion, statement bags, jewelry, beauty products, books, home decor, food, and contemporary African design.

If you are visiting Ghana and want to bring home something more distinctive than a standard souvenir, these are the kinds of places worth seeking out.

Three stops to put on your list are Ghana Mall, Kenten Accra, and Handmade by Akua. Ghana Mall brings products from Ghanaian businesses together in one retail space. Kenten offers a curated selection of Ghanaian and African lifestyle brands. Handmade by Akua specializes in striking handwoven bags, baskets, and accessories rooted in Northern Ghana’s weaving traditions.

Ghana Mall and Kenten both have confirmed Accra locations. Handmade by Akua’s official published address is in Bolgatanga in Ghana’s Upper East Region, although its products may also appear through Accra stockists, pop-ups, or retail partners.

Here is what to know about all three.

Three Ghanaian Shopping Spots at a Glance

1. Ghana Mall: A Marketplace for Made-in-Ghana Products

If you want to discover Ghanaian businesses without tracking down dozens of individual shops, Ghana Mall is an excellent place to start.

Do not confuse it with Accra Mall. Ghana Mall is a separate retail initiative focused on increasing market access and visibility for Ghanaian entrepreneurs and locally produced goods.

Ghana Mall is connected to the Ghana Enterprises Agency’s Business in a Box, or BizBox, project, implemented in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. The initiative supports Ghanaian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises and helps participating businesses reach customers and markets.

For travelers, that translates into something practical: a place where you can browse products from multiple Ghanaian businesses without spending your entire day moving from one independent shop to another.

What Can You Find at Ghana Mall?

Ghana Mall is broader than a fashion store.

Its retail offering can include textiles and garments, handcrafted products, processed foods, accessories, footwear, beauty products, bags, and other goods produced by Ghanaian businesses.

The exact brands and inventory can change, which is part of what makes the visit interesting.

You may arrive looking for a handbag and discover a Ghanaian skincare company, clothing designer, food producer, shoemaker, or craft business you had never heard of before.

That makes Ghana Mall particularly useful for gift shopping. Instead of buying several versions of the same tourist souvenir, you can browse products made by different Ghanaian entrepreneurs.

Where Is Ghana Mall?

Google currently categorizes the location as a grocery store, but that label appears narrower than the official Ghana Enterprises Agency and BizBox description of the mall as a marketplace for Ghanaian products and businesses. For that reason, it is better to think of Ghana Mall as a Made-in-Ghana retail and market-access space rather than a conventional grocery store.

2. Kenten Accra: A Curated Collection of African Brands

Kenten is one of the more interesting stops for travelers who want to see what contemporary Ghanaian and African brands are producing.

Rather than specializing in one designer or product category, Kenten operates as a curated lifestyle store. The concept brings different brands and products together in one retail space.

Kenten describes itself as “Modern African Lifestyle. Rooted in culture, crafted with quality.”

That description is a good summary of what makes the store interesting. This is less about conventional tourist souvenirs and more about discovering fashion, accessories, beauty products, books, food, and home products created for contemporary consumers.

What Can You Find at Kenten?

Recent visitor footage and Kenten’s own online presence show a broad range of merchandise, including:

• Clothing
• Handbags and accessories
• Jewelry
• Skincare and beauty products
• Books
• Home decor
• Snacks and specialty food products
• Gifts and lifestyle products

That variety is one of Kenten’s biggest strengths.

You may walk in looking for clothing and leave with a handbag, book, skincare product, jewelry, or gift from a Ghanaian brand you did not know existed before your visit.

A Different Side of Shopping in Ghana

Places like Kenten also provide a useful reminder that Made-in-Ghana shopping extends far beyond traditional crafts and souvenirs.

Ghana has fashion designers, skincare companies, authors, food producers, jewelers, accessory makers, artists, and lifestyle brands producing goods for Ghanaian and international consumers.

Kenten puts a selection of that broader creative economy in one place.

It is particularly useful if you are shopping for several people. Instead of buying everyone the same type of souvenir, you can pick out completely different gifts based on individual interests.

Where Is Kenten Accra?

The Google Maps listing places Kenten at Treehouse Restaurant on Ring Road East, confirming recent visitor descriptions of the store as being located in the same space as Treehouse.

Because the store carries multiple brands and its inventory can change, Kenten is the kind of place worth revisiting on subsequent trips to Ghana.

3. Handmade by Akua: Statement Pieces Rooted in Ghanaian Craftsmanship

If colorful woven bags are your weakness, Handmade by Akua may be the brand on this list that stays in your memory.

Its designs are difficult to miss.

Some bags feature dramatic layers of colorful raffia fringe. Others combine woven fibers with leather, beads, shells, contrasting patterns, or distinctive handles. There are more understated designs as well, but many of the pieces are meant to stand out.

These are the kinds of bags that can become the centerpiece of an outfit and have someone asking where you bought them.

The Craftsmanship Behind Handmade by Akua

Handmade by Akua’s appeal goes beyond appearance.

The Ghanaian brand draws from the basket-weaving traditions of Northern Ghana and works with materials including elephant grass and raffia.

Bolgatanga and surrounding communities in Ghana’s Upper East Region are particularly famous for basket weaving. Generations of artisans have developed weaving traditions that turn locally available grasses into durable and highly recognizable baskets.

Handmade by Akua takes inspiration from that craftsmanship while creating products intended for contemporary fashion and home use.

According to the brand, founder Rhoda Akua Chapo grew up in Northern Ghana and developed Handmade by Akua around transforming traditional woven forms into modern design pieces.

What Can You Buy From Handmade by Akua?

The company’s products extend well beyond the dramatic fringe handbags that tend to attract attention first.

Depending on current inventory, shoppers may find:

• Handwoven handbags
• Raffia bags
• Beach bags
• Basket-style purses
• Hats
• Shell and beaded accessories
• Decorative baskets
• Storage and laundry baskets
• Planters
• Woven home decor

The combination of Ghanaian weaving traditions and contemporary styling makes the brand particularly appealing if you want something connected to Ghana that does not look like a conventional tourist souvenir.

Where Is Handmade by Akua?

Handmade by Akua announced on its official Instagram account that customers can walk in and shop its pieces at Treehouse Restaurant & Bar in Osu, Accra.

The brand describes the location as a place to shop its handwoven statement bags, stylish hats, home decor pieces, and other handmade products.

Handmade by Akua announced the Treehouse location in December 2023, inviting customers to visit and shop its products in person. Since store details can change, confirm the current location and opening hours before visiting.

Think About Your Suitcase

There is one practical consideration when buying woven products: getting them home.

A handbag is relatively easy to pack. Large baskets, hats, planters, and decorative pieces can require more planning.

If you fall in love with a larger item, ask whether it can safely be compressed, nested inside another basket, or packed in a particular way. You can also ask whether shipping is available.

It is much easier to solve that problem before buying than while trying to close an overloaded suitcase the night before your flight.

Why Shopping Local in Ghana Is Worth the Extra Stop

There is nothing wrong with visiting Accra’s major shopping centers. They are convenient when you need groceries, electronics, international brands, or several errands handled in one place.

But they represent only one part of Ghana’s retail scene.

Independent boutiques, Ghanaian designers, artisan businesses, markets, and multi-brand stores can introduce you to products you might never encounter otherwise.

Shopping locally can also direct more of your travel spending toward Ghanaian businesses.

A locally produced handbag, for example, can involve weavers, leatherworkers, designers, suppliers, seamstresses, retailers, photographers, delivery companies, and other workers before it reaches the person carrying it.

There is also something more memorable about returning home with an item connected to the place you visited.

A woven Ghanaian bag, a book by a Ghanaian author, locally produced skincare, jewelry from an African designer, or clothing from a Ghanaian fashion brand can continue reminding you of your trip long after you return home.

Tips for Shopping in Accra and Ghana

A little planning can make a shopping day much easier, especially if you are moving between independent stores.

Confirm the Location Before Leaving

Independent businesses can move, add new locations, operate temporary pop-ups, or change their opening hours.

Check the company’s official website, social media account, or current Google Maps listing before making a dedicated trip.

Have More Than One Payment Option

Do not assume every independent business will accept the same payment methods.

Mobile money is widely used in Ghana, but international visitors may not always have convenient access to it. Carrying Ghanaian cedis and having a card available gives you more flexibility.

Ask Who Made the Product

This is particularly worthwhile at Ghana Mall and Kenten, where you may encounter products from multiple businesses.

If you find something you like, ask for the name of the company that made it.

You may discover a Ghanaian brand that you can continue following online or purchase from again after returning home.

Do Not Assume Every Price Is Negotiable

Bargaining is common in some Ghanaian markets, but that does not mean every price everywhere should be negotiated.

A formal boutique or retail store with clearly marked prices is different from shopping in an open market.

Follow the setting rather than automatically trying to bargain over every purchase.

Leave Room in Your Luggage

If shopping is part of your Ghana itinerary, consider leaving some suitcase space before you leave home.

Clothing, jewelry, books, handbags, and small gifts are relatively easy to pack. Large baskets, hats, and home decor require considerably more planning.

That empty suitcase space may not stay empty for long.

Make Shopping Part of Your Day in Accra

Ghana Mall and Kenten are both easy to incorporate into a broader Accra shopping itinerary.

Central Accra and the Osu area contain restaurants, cafes, nightlife, independent shops, street vendors, and other businesses, making it easy to combine shopping with the rest of your day.

Grouping destinations by neighborhood is also one of the easiest ways to make an Accra itinerary more efficient.

Distances that appear short on a map can take considerably longer when traffic is heavy. Visiting several places in roughly the same part of Accra can save a surprising amount of time.

You could spend part of the day discovering Ghanaian brands, stop for lunch, continue exploring nearby shops, and then stay in the area for dinner or drinks.

These Three Are Only the Beginning

Ghana Mall, Kenten, and Handmade by Akua represent only a small part of Ghana’s fashion, craft, and shopping scene.

Accra has independent fashion designers, tailors, jewelers, artists, leatherworkers, textile sellers, bookstores, beauty brands, markets, galleries, and specialty retailers that could easily fill an entire shopping itinerary.

There is much more beyond Accra too.

Kumasi is another major commercial and cultural center, while Bolgatanga and Northern Ghana offer direct connections to some of the country’s best-known weaving traditions. Different regions have their own textiles, crafts, foods, art, and products tied to local industries and traditions.

For travelers, that is part of what makes shopping in Ghana interesting. You do not have to choose between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary African design. You can experience both.

So if shopping is even remotely part of your plans for Ghana, consider arriving with a little extra room in your suitcase.

You may need it.

Sources

• Ghana Enterprises Agency
• Ghana Mall – About Us
• Kenten – Official Website
• Handmade by Akua – Official Website
• Handmade by Akua – About Us