Network Ghana
Qualitative market research agency in Ghana
MindMarket is a market research agency that runs qualitative studies in Ghana, from in-depth interviews and focus groups to mobile diaries and home visits, with moderators who live in the country and one project manager for your whole study. Ghana has 35.2 million people with a median age of 21.3, and 74.6 per cent of them use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), mostly on a phone. Research there works when it is built for that phone, when the connection is tested before the session, and when participants can move between English and their own language. MindMarket runs it with the practice we use in Nigeria, where we interviewed crypto users online for a global platform.
AT A GLANCE
Ghana at a glance for researchers
- Population. 35.2 million people, median age 21.3, 60.6 per cent in urban areas (DataReportal, Digital 2026). One of the youngest countries we work in: half the population is 21 or younger.
- Languages. English is the official language and works for many urban participants. Twi is the most widely spoken language in daily life, with Ga in Accra, Ewe in the east and Dagbani and Hausa in the north. Our moderators live in Ghana and follow participants from one language to the other.
- Internet and mobile. 26.3 million internet users, 74.6 per cent of the population, and 41.8 million mobile connections (DataReportal, Digital 2026). Most people go online on a phone, and paying by mobile money is routine.
- Where fieldwork happens. Accra first, then Kumasi, the country's second city, Takoradi on the coast and Tamale in the north. Four in ten people live outside the cities.
- Data protection. The Data Protection Act, 2012 applies. Participants are told what is collected and why before each session, and consent is recorded.
- Timing. December is a festive month and many people travel to their home towns. The rainy seasons, from April to July and again in September and October, slow travel. We do not schedule fieldwork with Muslim audiences during Ramadan.
IN THE FIELD
How does an interview run in Ghana?
Ghana is English-speaking and young, which tempts teams to run the study as they would at home. What changes the findings is the second language, the open market and the phone.
- Its own market in West Africa. Ghana is often briefed together with Nigeria. The two differ in size, currency, languages and what the shops carry, so each is recruited and moderated by people who live there, and one MindMarket team compares them for you.
- English and Twi in one sentence. English is the language of school and office, Twi of the market and the home, and many participants use both before a thought is finished. Our moderators live in Ghana and stay with the participant in whichever language the answer comes.
- Markets, kiosks and mobile money. Everyday buying often happens in open markets such as Makola in Accra and Kejetia in Kumasi, at kiosks, and by mobile money. Shop-alongs and interviews go where the purchase is made, with a guide the traders know.
- A phone, and a line checked in advance. Guides, stimulus and tasks are made for a phone screen. Each participant's connection is checked when they are recruited, and anyone whose home line is weak is interviewed from the recruiter's office.
RECRUITMENT
How do you recruit participants in Ghana?
- Recruiters who live in Ghana find the people your brief describes in Accra and Kumasi, and in Tamale or Takoradi when the brief reaches further.
- Participants are asked at recruitment which language they prefer, so the moderator and any translation are settled before the session.
- MindMarket pays every participant's incentive itself. You never handle it.
METHODS
Which methods work in Ghana?
Most studies in Ghana run as in-depth interviews and focus groups, with mobile diaries, shop-alongs or ethnographic home visits when the question needs them.
| Method | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| In-depth interviews | Mobile money, savings, crypto and other private subjects | A weak home line; the recruiter's office is the fallback |
| Focus groups | Food, drink, personal care and brands, in person | Traffic in Accra; start times need a margin |
| Mobile diaries | Daily routines and shopping, shown in photos and voice notes | Data costs; keep uploads light |
| Shop-alongs | Markets, kiosks and supermarkets where the choice is made | A guide the traders know; a stranger with a camera changes the visit |
| Home visits | Cooking, cleaning and family routines | Introductions through someone the household trusts |
QUESTIONS
Questions buyers ask about research in Ghana
How much does market research cost in Ghana?
A full-service qualitative study with MindMarket starts at $40,000 for the first market, and Ghana added to a multi-country study starts from $8,000. Audiences outside Accra take more travel and more time to recruit, which moves the price more than the number of sessions. Every quote is itemised and follows within 48 hours of a first call. Estimate your study.
How do I choose a market research agency in Ghana?
Choose by what the study has to decide. A fieldwork house in Accra fits a team that brings its own moderator and guide. A qualitative specialist such as MindMarket fits a brand from outside Ghana that needs local people heard in their own language, by moderators who live there, with one team across every country. Read how to choose a global qualitative research agency.
Can you run online interviews in Ghana?
Yes. Three in four people use the internet (DataReportal, Digital 2026), mostly on a phone, so sessions are planned as mobile video calls. Lines vary by neighbourhood: each one is checked at recruitment, and a participant with a weak line is interviewed from the recruiter's office.
Which language should sessions run in Ghana?
English for professional and many urban audiences, Twi for most everyday subjects, and often both in one session. Other home languages, such as Ga, Ewe or Dagbani, are planned at recruitment when the audience calls for them. Our moderators live in Ghana.
Is Accra enough, or should I add other cities?
For a product sold to urban, connected buyers, yes. Kumasi, the second city, is worth a second read before a national decision, and Tamale adds the north, where language, income and retail change again. Four in ten Ghanaians live outside the cities.
Can you help us decide, not only run the interviews?
Yes. Beyond the fieldwork, our Customer-Led Strategy work turns what people in Ghana told us into a recommendation: what to do, what not to do, and why. We form the hypotheses, test them with your customers and recommend from their words. If you already work with strategy consultants, we work alongside them.
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