Ghana: Ghana's Kente Protection Opens New Economic Possibilities

Ghana's newly protected Kente cloth could open new economic opportunities for the weavers who have woven it for generations. The ceremonial cloth, which tells stories of power, dignity and community identity, now enjoys legal protection as a geographical indication (GI). This recognition aims to prevent imitations, expand markets and increase earnings for the skilled artisans who create it.

However, turning this legal recognition into livelihoods will require collective standards, business support and the revival of local raw-material production. Emmanuel Kofi Atsisey, a weaver in Ziope, near the Volta region, supports his family with his kente weaving. He earns more selling the cloth abroad where it fetches up to US$360 compared to the US$225 he gets in Ghana.

Atsisey has experimented with new designs, such as naming a pattern "Life is Sweet" because he finds sugar cubes in his designs. Kente weaving is often passed down within families but Emmanuella took a different route and trained formally. Kente embodies centuries of knowledge and is worn at significant occasions. The fabric's global standing gives weavers pride despite low earnings.

Kente's rising presence in fashion has encouraged artisans to see it as both cultural heritage and an economic asset. Ghana's export of Kente products grew by 522% in 2024, with the export value reaching US$38,901.83, up from US$6,256.00 in 2023. This success, however, is not without challenges. Young artisans like Richmond Quarshie, who learned the craft from his brothers, face barriers such as limited capital, weak support structures and fragmented markets.

While Kente became Ghana's first GI in August 2025, the process of leveraging this protection for economic gain is still unfolding. Textile consultant Godson Sena Adjavor argues that the Registrar-General's Department must ensure that GI protection creates economic value for weavers by recognising community-based intellectual property and registering artisans in different weaving communities.