Kwaku Lotteryy@kwakulotteryy
THE MAN CALLED "SIKKENS" IN GHANA -KWAME OFOSU BAMFO.
Kwame Ofosu Bamfo was once refused a Netherlands 🇳🇱 visa.
But he didn't just stop there......
Kwame Ofosu Bamfo, popularly known as “Sikkens,” is the owner of Alisa Hotel in Accra, Tema, and Kumasi in Ghana. The nickname “Sikkens” comes from his long and successful relationship with the world-renowned Sikkens Paint brand from The Netherlands 🇳🇱
Before his success, he worked in his uncle’s shop, which sold building materials and paint. In that shop he learned how imported paint products were distributed, how Ghana’s construction and automotive finishing market operated, and what customers needed but could not easily find.
Sikkens Paint is manufactured by AkzoNobel, a Dutch multinational company. In the past, AkzoNobel had an agent in Ghana, but that partnership ended.
So what did Kwame Ofosu Bamfo do?He personally wrote a handwritten letter to AkzoNobel Sikkens in the Netherlands, asking to become their representative in Ghana. And I quote
“I wrote to Azko-Nobel Sikkens in Holland, manufacturers of Sikkens Paint, asking to be their representative in Ghana, in my own handwriting. A reply came instructing me to deal with the company that was the accredited representative of Sikkens in Ghana.”
Kwame Ofosu Bamfo later convinced Sikkens executives that Ghana had strong potential for automotive refinishing paints, especially for car body shops and sprayers, a sector that was growing but underserved.
AkzoNobel agreed to grant him exclusive distributorship for Sikkens auto-refinish products in Ghana, provide technical training, offer product support, and allow him to use the Sikkens brand for marketing.
Although his Netherlands visa was initially refused, he did not give up. He applied again, succeeded, travelled, and eventually secured the partnership he wanted. His determination paid off.
This relationship was formalized through Bamson Company Limited, which remains AkzoNobel’s official representative for Sikkens paints in Ghana to this day.
Today, Bamfo is considered one of Ghana’s most respected businessmen. His company, Bamson Ghana Limited, is a market leader in paint distribution. For over 38 years, the company has represented AkzoNobel Sikkens in Ghana.
Even after his visa was denied in the past, probably 20-30 years ago, he refused to give up. He applied again, succeeded, and built one of the strongest business relationships in the industry.
What have you learnt from his story?
