Accra will be the site of Twitter’s Africa headquarters starting from 2021. This was contained in an announcement by the CEO of the global social media giant, Jack Dorsey, in a tweet on Monday morning.
“Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you Ghana and @NAkufoAddo. #TwitterGhana”, Dorsey’s tweet read, thanking Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo.
?? Twitter is now present on the continent.
— jack (@jack) April 12, 2021
Thank you Ghana and @NAkufoAddo. #TwitterGhana https://t.co/tt7KR3kvDg
Ghana’s president also welcomed Twitter, tweeting: “The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is EXCELLENT news. Gov’t and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country.”
For now, Twitter staff will be working remotely, a consequence of the convenience tech jobs provide in the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is foreseeable that Twitter will establish a brick-and-mortar office even though the company has said it is committed to letting workers in other countries work permanently from home.
Why Ghana?
Twitter curtly explained why it chose Ghana:
As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate. Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host The Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa.
But this choice also follows working visits Dorsey took of Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa in 2019. It was rumored he was looking for where to establish Twitter’s first African office but that was never confirmed. Dorsey has however spoken of his belief that the next biggest questions in the automation economy, such as cryptocurrency, will be pertinent in Africa.
Twitter has revealed 12 hiring positions in Ghana, as at the time of going to press, including Senior Communications Manager, Senior Content Partnerships Manager and a Media Operations Analyst.
