What digital marketing strategy or tactics should you pursue as a startup or small business in Africa in the era of COVID-19? As a Ghana-based digital strategist and freelancer, I have had conversations with fellow entrepreneurs and friends on this exact topic. Why? In the wake of COVID-19, digital has…
The days of spending long hours in the office are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Today, businesses can be run online and offline no matter your location, thanks to the internet. Working from home or remote work is often practiced by companies that lack physical…
Disclaimer: Before I begin, I should mention that I am not a health professional, health expert or specialist on CoronaVirus. I am simply a global citizen sharing my insights, personal experiences and lessons on managing wellbeing as a digital media professional who works remotely (and…
In 2015, the global community set new targets for sustainable development. Among them, the objective of significantly reducing the percentage of youth not in employment, education or training by 2020, as part of targets under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8. 2020 is here with time running out for achieving the…
I started 2020 with a bit of digital burnout. 2019 was a trying year for many, myself included. But despite its ups and downs, and the many pseudo-apolocalypictic moments it brought, it did leave me with one thing: Clarity. Clarity on the value of building…
Whether you’re visiting Ghana for the first time, coming back for a proper visit, or simply looking at exploring and eating out in Accra during December in Ghana, you will want to indulge in Ghanaian cuisine . Being a foodie myself, I understand that food…
In case you haven’t heard, 2019 has been dubbed the ‘Year of Return’ in Ghana; an open invitation to African-Americans and Africans in the Diaspora to ‘return home’ to Ghana. Since the call went out in late 2018, Ghana’s tourism sector has been buzzing. The country has played host to…
Africans in the Diaspora return to their home countries for various reasons: nostalgia, a sense of responsibility, opportunity, family ties, love, familiarity, curiosity, optimism, reconnecting with one’s roots, and so on. What propelled me to return to Africa in 2010 was a mix of a…
There comes a time in an African Diasporan’s life when you have to choose: to stay or to go. For many, relocating can be a nerve-wrecking and paradigm shifting decision – and indeed, it is. You are literally uprooting yourself and setting up shop elsewhere.…
“Follow your instincts. That’s where true wisdom manifests itself.” While it is a seemingly cliché Oprah Winfrey quote, it perfectly captures Gloria Buckman Yankson’s journey to becoming a forerunner for the event planning industry in Ghana with PlanIt Events Ghana (PlanIt Ghana). Buckman Yankson grew up seeing herself as a…
She has built two successful businesses. Now, she’s dishing out business and health nuggets with her latest venture: Clean Eats Ghana.
Marcia Ashong’s career breakthroughs prepared her to help African women overcome barriers. She talks Sisterhood Matters with Circumspecte’s Jemila Abdulai.
Accra may not be West Africa’s fitness capital, but there are a growing number of gyms in the Ghanaian capital. If getting into a gym is one of your goals for your year, our guide to 20 Accra-based gyms and fitness centres is for you! From the low-budget open air…
This is the second article in a series on Fitness, Weight Loss & Wellbeing. Missed the first? Read to find out what motivated Jemila to take fitness seriously. I am many things – the best athlete or sports person is not one of them. I…
Just a few months shy of my first anniversary as a freelancer and solopreneur in Accra, I realised I was doing to myself what my 9-to-5 and AC-to-AC lifestyle in Tunis had done to me. I attributed it to a slower metabolism and body changes as I hit 30. It was soon clear I needed to make a change – to really take my personal health, wellbeing and fitness seriously. But you know how we humans do: we waver, false-start, and make excuses.
On the lookout for an awesome venue for your next project or out-of-office meeting? Need a more structured space to get some work done than working in a coffee shop? Looking to collaborate with other Ghanaian entrepreneurs, startups, or freelancers and tap into creative local, regional and global networks? What you…
Avid traveler and Circumspecte editor Jemila Abdulai reviews Ghana’s new state of the art Kotoka International Airport Terminal 3 (T3).
When it comes to obtaining visas, I’ve generally had a good run (knock on wood) as a Ghanaian passport holder. I’ve never been denied a visa and perhaps due to my track record of leaving x country before visa expiration, I’ve generally had a pleasant…
New Zealand is the beautiful country at the bottom of the world you never knew you wanted to visit. Jemila Abdulai shares why.
Circumspecte editor Jemila Abdulai shares her list of books to read, listen to and share.
Hashtags are a key feature of social media and the internet. Jemila Abdulai offers suggestions on how to use them effectively.
Instagram may have only come onto the scene in 2010 – six years after Facebook, five years after YouTube and four years after Twitter – but it’s arguably the most dynamic social media platform, both in terms of innovation and growth. As a social media and digital marketing trainer and…
How do you effectively promote your event through social media to get people to actually register and attend? This is a question I’ve been asked numerous times. In this article, I share my secrets and go-to strategies for effective event marketing on social media.
Resumes and CVs. You can love them, you can hate them, but you can’t deny that they are an essential tool in any job seeker’s arsenal. While simply having a resume or CV might not be enough to bag you that job or opportunity, having…
What is the difference between a resume and a CV? When do you use what? How do you structure your resume effectively? Part one of this two-part series by Jemila Abdulai on writing resumes delves in.
It creeps up on you. Your monthly meet-ups become weekly phone calls that eventually dwindle down to occasional likes and birthday messages on each other’s Facebook walls. Just like that, the relationships that were once so essential to your existence become yet another phone notification.…
Gosh, who knew time could fly this fast? It’s been almost two and a half years since I started freelancing and living this solo-preneur life. Two and a half years since I pulled the rug out from under me and dove head-first into the murky…
Breast cancer is the most common cancer that affects women and the most common cause of cancer deaths in Ghana; it is a growth of abnormal cells in the breast. Over time, and when undetected, these cells can invade healthy breast tissue nearby as well as the lymph system in…
Many are the tales of entrepreneurs born from passion; of eureka moments inevitably leading said entrepreneur down a winding rabbit hole that is now their life. The story couldn’t be more different for Adjo Dede Asare. Hers is a tale of family legacy, practicality, and…
When you look at the photo above you probably see a young African woman jet setting in an exotic location. She looks happy. And I was. But I was also a struggling Masters student who was barely making ends meet during Italy’s economic crisis. I…
By ECHEZONAM SMITH I listened to Wyclef’s song Diallo as a teenager and thought it was a cool song. I loved the way Wyclef screamed “Diallo Diallo!” and the gunshots sounded so real. However, in all my sing-along moments and until I became cognizant of Black Lives Matter, I never…
Where does your food come from? Who grows what you eat? Does it matter? Do you even care? How do policy, climate change, global prices and consumption patterns affect farmers’ livelihoods? Better still, how do they impact the very foods you eat? Does it matter?…
Last week, the spate of police brutality, gun violence and racial profiling against America’s black community came to a head with the deaths of 37-year old father of five Alton Sterling and 32-year old school cafeteria worker Philando Castile, resurfacing the debate on racism in…
Growing up with three sisters and numerous female cousins, I had an early introduction to the world of sisterhood. I never questioned that my sisters – both biological and destined – would be there when I needed them, or that I would do the same for them. True, there…
In the early 2000s, my father gave me this book: “How to think about weird things: Critical thinking for a new age”. Although I flipped through its pages, I never actually read it – it was either too dense for my teenage mind or I was…
I’m in Istanbul, Turkey and it goes without saying that I’m somewhat of an oddity in these parts. Everyone’s looking at me. I probably should have done some quick research online to get a sense of the diversity in Istanbul, but I was too eager…
The month of Ramadan is here and over 1 billion Muslims in Ghana and around the world are participating in what is regarded as the holiest month of Islam. Each year I get about the same questions from non-Muslims: How many days do you fast for? Can you drink water?…
Jemila Abdulai at Kotoka International Airport before its renovation At one point or another, everyone travels. Whether you’re walking down a couple of blocks to the supermarket to get your favourite snack, or you’re seated in an airplane thousands of feet above the ground, traveling…
Freelancer, Professional or Entrepreneur not sure how to position and present yourself online? Need guidance in identifying or crafting your personal brand? This webinar will delve into the essentials for using social media tools like LinkedIn and Twitter professionally and strategically. Course details and registration HERE. This…
CV Convos (CV Conversations) is an Instagram Live series on navigating careers and CV writing tips, created by Circumspecte and the New Career Platform. Career coach and Circumspecte founder Jemila Abdulai talks to African young professionals about their career paths and the lessons learned along the way. In our final…