The Government of Ghana has launched ‘The Black Star Experience,’ an ambitious nationwide project designed to establish Ghana as the epicenter of culture and creativity in Africa.
The elaborate opening ceremony gathered together government representatives, global leaders, prominent figures from culture, and key players in the creative sector.
President John Dramani Mahama, in his keynote speech, characterized the initiative as “not just a project; it’s a movement. A movement aimed at rediscovering our identity, honoring our heritage, and unleashing the immense potential of our tourism, culture, and creative industries.”
The Black Star Experience embodies a daring revamp of Ghana’s strategy for promoting culture and boosting tourism, drawing inspiration from effective approaches adopted by countries like Rwanda, Morocco, and South Korea.
This extensive initiative seeks to highlight Ghana’s vibrant cultural legacy while fostering lasting economic prospects within the artistic industries.
An all-encompassing strategy for cultural advancement
The project is built upon seven main foundations: Film, Sound, Food, Beauty, Fashion, Books, and Traditions. By integrating these interrelated aspects, The Black Star Experience aims to craft a unified national story that resonates with local as well as global viewers.
Ghana isn’t merely a nation; it’s an enduring heritage,” President Mahama stated in his speech. “Spanning from the historical kingdoms like Ashanti, Dagbon, and Akwamu to the Pan-African vision led by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, our past forms a rich fabric woven with strength, creativity, and worldwide impact. However, for far too long, these defining areas—culture, art, and tourism—have been neglected. But now, The Black Star Experience will transform this situation!
This project realizes a pledge made by President Mahama during his election campaign to introduce this program within his initial 120 days as president. As disclosed at the event unveiling the execution plan, The Black Star Experience is designed to infuse $5 billion into the Ghanaian economy by 2027.
Ambitions spanning the globe with local beginnings
Renowned Ghananian highlife artist Rex Omar, who also leads the recently formed Black Star Experience Secretariat, emphasized the initiative’s capacity to reshape Ghana’s creative sectors.
For many years, our artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural contributors have produced exceptional works despite lacking sufficient backing or resources,” Omar said. “The Black Star Experience marks a significant change in how we appreciate and fund our creative sector.
It goes beyond merely luring tourists; this initiative aims at developing robust creative sectors that offer genuine economic prospects for Ghanaians as they share our rich culture with the global community.”
This initiative encompasses multiple bold elements such as the Creative Connect Conference, a Cultural Heritage Support Program, Talent Optimization Project, worldwide advertising campaigns, digital immersive tourism encounters, and international BSE Experience Stores located at key global airports.
Gleaning insights from worldwide triumphs
The Black Star Experience takes cues from prominent national image-building projects around the globe.
The implementation blueprint presented at the launch highlighted case studies from countries like South Korea’s ‘Hallyu Wave’, which generated US$13billion in K-Beauty sales alone and positioned the country as a global entertainment powerhouse.
Other models referenced include Rwanda’s ‘Visit Rwanda’ campaign, which helped boost tourism revenue from US$200million in 2010 to US$620million in 2023, and Morocco’s ‘Kingdom of Light’ initiative, which attracted 17.4 million international visitors in 2024.
The effect on economy and employment generation
The primary emphasis of The Black Star Experience lies in its economic promise. This project seeks to generate numerous employment opportunities, specifically targeting Ghanaian youth and women within the fields of creativity and tourism.
The program will undertake various strategic initiatives, including:
- The Ghana Experience Guides Initiative aims to train between 5,000 and 10,000 experience guides across the country.
- Destination Optimisation Project to upgrade one tourism site in each region to international standards
- Global activations across 25 strategic international locations and events
- BSE Experience Shops at major international airports such as those in Ghana, South Africa, the USA, Dubai, and the Netherlands.
Continuous recognition of outstanding achievements from Ghanaians
In contrast to earlier cultural efforts, The Black Star Experience is structured as an ongoing, all-year program. “This endeavor won’t just be a single event; rather, it’s meant to be a 365-day journey—an unending burst of innovation spanning each area,” President Mahama stated.
The initiative will enhance current cultural festivals and happenings throughout Ghana, ranging from Hogbetsotso in Anlo to the Chale Wote street party in Jamestown and Fetu Afahye in Cape Coast. It will also introduce fresh signature events and experiences.
International partnerships and collaborations
The Black Star Experience aims to proactively forge international collaborations with worldwide celebrities, financiers, and cultural organizations to boost Ghana’s influence through soft power.
The proposal imagines international musicians creating albums at Ghanaian studios, Hollywood movies being filmed in Ghanaian settings, and travelers fully engaging with Ghanaian culture throughout the year.
Rex Omar highlighted the collective aspect of the project. “This isn’t something we’re developing in isolation. The Black Star Experience is meant to be a framework that unites government entities, private sector allies, creative experts, and local communities.”
By aligning our efforts under this unified brand, we can achieve far more than any single entity could accomplish alone.”
Investment and infrastructure development
The Black Star Experience aims to concentrate on building fresh tourism infrastructure, enhancing amenities at major tourist locations, putting resources into the creative sector, and executing extensive promotional plans to showcase Ghana’s cultural heritage worldwide.
The Black Star Experience Secretariat will oversee these initiatives across various ministries and agencies, guaranteeing a unified strategy for execution.
A call to action
President Mahama concluded his address with a powerful call to action. “To our musicians, filmmakers, fashion designers, chefs and storytellers, this is your time. To investors, Ghana is open for business.
For everyone around the globe, join us in experiencing the enchantment of The Black Star.” During the launch event, guests were treated to various cultural performances, exhibits, and engaging activities highlighting the vibrant tapestry of Ghanaian heritage, offering an early glimpse into the concept behind The Black Star Experience.
Regarding The Black Star Experience
The Black Star Experience stands out as a key project led by the Government of Ghana, aimed at fostering cultural revitalization, economic change, and creative growth via an extensive series of national events including festivals, exhibits, shows, educational programs, and construction projects. This endeavor seeks to establish Ghana as the central hub for creativity and culture within Africa.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. (
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