Money Mindset: "Money Is in Dirty Work" — Why Young Ghanaians Refuse the Businesses That Actually Pay
Konnected Minds Podcast with Derrick Abaitey
Guest: Kingsley Opoku Sempe
Episode Date: February 6, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode of Konnected Minds Podcast explores the realities of youth unemployment in Ghana, challenging the perception that wealth only resides in "white-collar" jobs. Host Derrick Abaitey interviews young entrepreneur Kingsley Opoku Sempe, who shares his journey from years of unsuccessful job-hunting to launching a thriving distributorship and wholesale business in the Eastern region. The conversation is rich with real-world advice, mindset shifts, actionable steps to entrepreneurship, and candid reflections about ego, societal expectations, and where opportunity truly lies for young Ghanaians.
Key Discussion Points
1. The Ghanaian Youth Employment Landscape
- Systemic Barriers:
- Kingsley highlights how Ghana's recruitment process is like a "cartel"—jobs often go to predetermined candidates, with interviews held as a formality (00:00, 16:10).
"Ghana's recruitment is like a cartel. They already have someone they want to pick. They are just using this interview as a formality." — Kingsley (00:00)
- Kingsley highlights how Ghana's recruitment process is like a "cartel"—jobs often go to predetermined candidates, with interviews held as a formality (00:00, 16:10).
- Psychological Toll:
- Three years of job-hunting left Kingsley and many peers demoralized, feeling the system is rigged against ordinary youth without special connections (01:07, 13:08).
"I actually got to a stage, I was really depressed... it seems no company in Ghana is willing to give me that chance." — Kingsley (01:07, 13:08)
- Three years of job-hunting left Kingsley and many peers demoralized, feeling the system is rigged against ordinary youth without special connections (01:07, 13:08).
- Cultural Mindset:
- There's a prevailing belief that success comes from office jobs, despite these being scarce and not always financially rewarding (16:34, 32:06).
"Everyone wants a white-collar job. But Derrick, I can tell you, white-collar jobs don't pay in Ghana." — Kingsley (14:34)
- There's a prevailing belief that success comes from office jobs, despite these being scarce and not always financially rewarding (16:34, 32:06).
2. Background and Family Influence
- Upbringing:
- Raised by his mother, auntie, and grandmother, who together supported his schooling. No father figure or substantial family wealth (04:10–06:46).
- Work Ethic Root:
- Family expectation to ‘pull your own weight’ influenced Kingsley's self-reliance, further motivated by a legacy of self-employment among relatives (07:30).
3. University Life and Early Aspirations
- Struggles With Fees and Accommodation:
- University was financially tough, with Kingsley sleeping in shared accommodation and relying on extended family for fees (08:36–09:23).
- Early Exposure to Distribution Business:
- Through family, gained hands-on experience in distributorship and brand management from age 16, fueling his later entrepreneurial path (09:31–11:50).
4. Job Search Frustration and Turning Point
- Applications and Rejections:
- Between 2021 and 2023, Kingsley applied to 10–15 FMCG companies, often overqualified but still rejected, reinforcing the sense of system ‘cartelization’ (12:03, 17:21).
"How can you reject me for a position that was lower for my qualification?" — Kingsley (17:00)
- Between 2021 and 2023, Kingsley applied to 10–15 FMCG companies, often overqualified but still rejected, reinforcing the sense of system ‘cartelization’ (12:03, 17:21).
- Epiphany:
- After more disappointment, realized it was time to chart his own course:
"I need to start doing something for myself, because how I think is different from how they are thinking.” — Kingsley (14:15)
- After more disappointment, realized it was time to chart his own course:
5. Starting a Business with No Capital
- Initial Steps:
- Began working under a distributor, then seized the opportunity to take over as a local distributor when the original boss had liquidity challenges (20:00–23:29).
- Integrity and Networking:
- Built trust with suppliers and customers through reliability and honesty, gaining crucial support from mentors and leveraging their reputational capital (27:54–29:20).
“When a man's integrity leads him, he gets recommended by the people he has been truthful with.” — Derrick (27:54)
- Built trust with suppliers and customers through reliability and honesty, gaining crucial support from mentors and leveraging their reputational capital (27:54–29:20).
- Scaling Up:
- With initial credit from suppliers, started small, reinvested profits, expanded network, and eventually employed others (23:31, 29:35).
6. "Dirty Work" Pays—Changing Mindsets About Money
- Dispelling the White-Collar Myth:
- Most lucrative opportunities are perceived as ‘dirty work’: market trading, distributorship, logistics, sanitation (32:06, 34:38).
"The youth today does not want to do the dirty job... Money is in Ghana, but it's in debt." — Kingsley (32:23)
- Most lucrative opportunities are perceived as ‘dirty work’: market trading, distributorship, logistics, sanitation (32:06, 34:38).
- Ego as a Barrier:
- Young people must “put their ego somewhere” and embrace practical opportunities (33:01).
"If you want to make money, you need to put your ego somewhere. That I hold a degree, I have a master's, I have a PhD—that won't give you money." — Kingsley (33:01)
- Young people must “put their ego somewhere” and embrace practical opportunities (33:01).
- Wealth in the Markets:
- “Market women” often have substantial cash flow, far exceeding many degree-holders (00:40, 32:23).
7. Practical Steps to Start from Zero
- Identify a Problem:
- Success comes from solving real, local problems—sanitation, essential goods distribution, or other “dirty” but needed services (34:27).
"If you want to make money, just identify a problem in your locality... that's where the money comes in." — Kingsley (34:39)
- Success comes from solving real, local problems—sanitation, essential goods distribution, or other “dirty” but needed services (34:27).
- Leverage Skills:
- Utilize communication, branding, relationship-building, and negotiation despite little or no startup capital (35:40–36:22).
- Start Small—Low Capital Model:
- Encourages others to begin with even 1000 Ghana cedis; buy small wholesale packs, sell retail, reinvest profits (47:04–50:07).
"A thousand cedis can get, let's say, five packs of my softener ... if they are to do retail, they will make 80 cedis per pack." — Kingsley (49:18, 50:12)
- Encourages others to begin with even 1000 Ghana cedis; buy small wholesale packs, sell retail, reinvest profits (47:04–50:07).
8. Challenges of the Business
- Logistics & Warehousing:
- Delivery capacity and storage limit growth. Uses a borrowed pickup truck and is seeking a bigger warehouse (52:07–53:10).
- Competition:
- Copycats try to lure away customers, but good relationships and service help retain loyalty (53:10–53:47).
9. Mindset, Motivation, and Financial Discipline
- Financial Discipline:
- Pays himself only modestly (1500 GHS) to prioritize business growth. Learned about compartmentalizing reinvestment, buffer, and personal spending (43:44–45:11).
“Businesses fail because they can’t separate reinvestment account, buffer account, and personal account… Now if I take even 100,000, I’ll be okay. But for now I’m only paying myself 1500.” — Kingsley (43:44, 44:22)
- Pays himself only modestly (1500 GHS) to prioritize business growth. Learned about compartmentalizing reinvestment, buffer, and personal spending (43:44–45:11).
- Reward of Self-Earned Money:
- Greater satisfaction from earning tokens through one’s initiative than handouts (41:00).
- Advice to Others:
- Be truthful, maintain reputation, tame your ego, prioritize relationships, and focus on problem-solving (54:17).
"Tame down your ego and money will look for you." — Kingsley quoting his grandmother (54:17)
- Be truthful, maintain reputation, tame your ego, prioritize relationships, and focus on problem-solving (54:17).
10. Achievements and Future Vision
- Financial Trajectory:
- From June to December, moved 1.5 million GHS in goods, with best individual month at 400,000 GHS (45:22–46:15).
- Community Building:
- Now employs staff, serves 180 clients, and aims to uplift others by mentoring and sharing business opportunities (47:04, 49:18).
- Open Support:
- Willing to help others get started with small capital and his own distributor links (48:07).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Systemic Barriers:
"Ghana's recruitment is like a cartel. They already have someone they want to pick." — Kingsley (00:00) - On Dirty Work:
"Money is in Ghana, but it's in debt and the youth today does not want to do the dirty job... Go to Makola, you actually see market women who can buy goods worth of 100,000 and pay with physical cash." — Kingsley (00:40) - On Personal Growth:
"When a man's integrity leads him, he gets recommended by the people he has been truthful with." — Derrick (27:54) - On Starting Small:
"I didn't start with any money—what I was doing is, I actually took in bits... After a week, I mumu their money to them, and at that time, I was earning 40 cedis per pack." — Kingsley (30:16) - On Mindset:
"If you want to make money, you need to put your ego somewhere... A market woman takes a good worth of 15,000 and pays with cash that same day..." — Kingsley (33:01) - On Discipline:
"I'm only paying myself 1500 a month because if my capital doesn't reach this line, I'm not taking my money out." — Kingsley (43:44) - On Problem Solving:
"In the world, if you want to make money, you need to solve a problem." — Kingsley (34:39) - On Advice:
"Tame down your ego and money will look for you." — Kingsley quoting his grandmother (54:17)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Ghana's recruitment system is a "cartel": 00:00, 16:10
- Impact of job-market frustrations: 01:07, 13:08, 17:21
- Family background and early work ethic: 04:10–07:30
- Initial entrepreneurial steps, starting with no capital: 20:00–23:29, 30:16
- Integrity and recommendation: 27:54–29:20
- Dispelling the white-collar myth—market wealth: 32:06–34:16
- Actionable advice for beginning with 1000 GHS: 47:04–50:07
- Financial discipline lessons: 43:44–45:11
- Best advice received/mindset: 54:17
Conclusion
This episode is a compelling case study in the power of grit, humility, problem-solving, and integrity—providing valuable lessons for young Africans facing a saturated job market. Derrick and Kingsley jointly emphasize that meaningful wealth often lies in unglamorous sectors and that the right mindset shift can pave the way to both financial and personal fulfillment.