Born April 3, 1989. We (Samuel and Emmanuel) both completed our education at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. But we gave up on our degree and job search and instead took to photography alongside blogging. It wasn’t an easy journey for us especially coming from a society that consider ALL University graduates are suppose to go out looking for careers within their field of studies - instead of taking photos. We were resilient and wanted to prove to our doubters that a blend of hard work with passion can pave way for lucrative career. Yes, if you were wondering – we are twins and co-founders of www.swagofafrica.news. A lifestyle platform across Ghana and parts of Africa. Our drive behind our craft as a photographer and videographer came about re: Ghanaian photographer Emmanuel Bobbie, aka @BobPixel. He was a huge influence on our journey. As a photographer, we love to express admiration and respect for photographers in Africa. We currently serve as official photographer for Ghana's second lady @sbawumia. We met our second lady via social media outlet (@Facebook) and largely, our personal relationship with other stakeholders in the industry also played a significant or vital role in knowing and working with the second lady. One way we are currently giving back to our community is through coaching young or new or upcoming photographers. We hope one day we will be in a better capacity to give away photography equipment or accessories to support those thriving in this industry. Recently, we were honoured to represented Ghana at the @NAACP Awards 2020 ceremony on 22 February 2020 at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. That is one of our most successful milestone in our career. Collaborators, models, artists, marketing agencies, production directors, industrial partners etc we are always looking for opportunity to expand our portfolio
What were the biggest initial hurdles to building your business and how did you overcome them?
Some of the biggest hurdles have been financial stability especially when we first relocated to the capital city of Ghana. But we have always collaborated with amazing brands that convey the same messages as our ourselves. What we have to offer to the world is the uniqueness and our narrative stands out from the crowd. Becoming a leader in our space hasn't been easy as the world wants consistency in content delivery, concept and all round narrative.
Did you ever deal with contention from your family and friends concerning your entrepreneurial pursuits?
How did you handle it? What would you do differently in hindsight?
In the beginning our parents were not supportive of our career choice. That did not deter us from our dream and with time friends and family saw that this was what we wanted to do.
What would you say was the single most influential factor in your business success?
A couple of influential factors for us was, networking and building a creditable portfolio because that is a your ticket out.
What do you know today that you wish you would have known when you first got started as an entrepreneur?
If we knew photography was our calling in first year of University, we would have be jumping on that moving train. However, we can’t look back now and call out our regrets in the past.
What advice would you give to an upcoming entrepreneur locally and internationally?
If you love photography, don't wait for big moments and gigs to practice. Use your family members and friends as models, that's how we also started. We challenge everyone to step out and make a move. It’s about time we stop begging people for opportunities and start creating our own.
