For two years Benjamin Asiam-Amanfo has been making shoes. He quit his job as a pharmacy assistant to pursue his passion for shoes. Today he is CEO of Royal Diadem Footwear Garage. 

“I used to buy very good shoes from my friend Samuel Anderson, and then I asked him to teach me how to make shoes”, Benjamin said as he narrated on the JOY BUSINESS VAN how he started his business.

Once he learned how to make shoes, Benjamin decided to start his own business. It was a tough decision to take.

“I had a lot of pressure from family and friends but I still persisted”. But today Benjamin looks back with no regrets. With the little money he had and  assistance from some friends, he converted his porch into a workshop where he produces five handmade shoes a day.

Once the shoes are done, they go into his little boutique, Royal Diadem Shoes located at Tabora in Accra.

Benjamin makes shoes of all kinds of leather shoes for both men and women.

“My shoes are made for the average Ghanaian,” he told the JOY BUSINESS.

Benjamin is inspired by Ghana’s leading shoemaker, CEO of Horseman shoes, Tonyi Senayah. He considers competition in the shoe-making industry his greatest challenge but that is not stopping him.

Benjamin plans to expand, acquire more equipment and get more hands to be able to produce more by end of the year.

The JOY BUSINESS VAN is a weekly feature on SMEs and startups which airs on radio, TV and online. It is support by internet service provider Busy.