Founder and CEO of Jacob West Limited, Michael Kyei-Ayensu, has candidly detailed the unexpected hurdles he faced after relocating from the United Kingdom to establish his business in Ghana, revealing that adapting to the local business environment proved far more complex than anticipated.

Speaking on Personality Profile with Lexis Bill on Joy FM, the diaspora entrepreneur said his early years in Ghana were marked by difficult adjustments, despite his prior success in the UK property and finance space.

High expectations meet harsh reality

Reflecting on the transition period, Mr Kyei-Ayensu, who was a guest on the show on Thursday, February 19, admitted he initially underestimated the depth of structural and cultural differences between the two business environments.

“At the beginning stages…I didn't expect this,” he said during the interview.

Pressed on what exactly surprised him, the Jacob West boss explained that Ghana’s business ecosystem operates very differently from the systems-driven model he was used to in Britain.

"It runs on emotions and culture, rather than systems and processes. And I didn't understand that at the beginning stages.”

UK playbook didn’t translate easily

Before relocating, Mr Kyei-Ayensu and his brother had built a business in the UK, where structured financing, predictable regulations, and data-driven decision-making shaped operations. That experience led him to believe the same formula could be replicated locally.

“And I felt as though, as long as I implement what I've learned in the UK, in Ghana, I'll be fine. Right?” he recounted.

However, he quickly discovered that success in Ghana required a different strategic approach, one that blended formal systems with relationship management and deep cultural understanding.

Starting from scratch again

Mr Kyei-Ayensu noted that one of the biggest shocks was entering a market where he lacked the institutional knowledge and networks that had supported his earlier ventures abroad.

“In the UK, we set up business with zero. There was no investment. It was ideas. And it became a business,” he explained.

Confident from that experience, he initially believed the Ghana move would follow a similar trajectory.

“So I said, 'I can do this'. But then we understood the system [in the UK], and we knew where, if we started, we could navigate ourselves to get to where we needed to get to.”

That confidence, he admitted, met its toughest test upon arrival in Ghana.

“But in Ghana, we didn't know the system. We didn't understand the process.”

Building Jacob West against the odds

Despite the early turbulence, Mr Kyei-Ayensu has since grown Jacob West into a recognised Ghanaian real estate and property advisory firm, known for mortgage brokerage, property investment guidance and diaspora-focused housing solutions.

Industry observers credit the company with helping bridge financing gaps for many first-time homeowners and diaspora investors seeking property opportunities in Ghana.

Business analysts say his journey mirrors a common diaspora challenge, where the assumption is that technical expertise alone guarantees success back home.

Lessons for returning diaspora entrepreneurs

Mr Kyei-Ayensu stressed that, beyond capital and technical knowledge, returning entrepreneurs must invest time in understanding local business culture and regulatory pathways.

His experience underscores a broader policy conversation about improving ease of doing business and formalising systems within Ghana’s private sector environment.

Today, he says the early setbacks have become valuable learning tools that shaped Jacob West’s growth strategy and resilience.

For many diaspora professionals eyeing a return home, his story serves both as inspiration and caution: global experience is valuable, but local intelligence is indispensable.