Say Cheers at 25: How a Premium Drinks Business Built Its Edge in Ghana

 

Twenty-five years after entering Ghana’s premium beverage market, Say Cheers Limited has built its business around a strategy that prioritises quality, expertise and long-term customer relationships rather than scale alone.

Founded in 2001 by Nana Adwoa Konadu Karikari, the company identified an emerging opportunity in Ghana’s growing appetite for premium wines and spirits and sought to fill what it saw as a gap in the market: specialised service around premium beverages.

What started as a personal business conviction has since developed into a company supplying wines and spirits sourced through relationships with selected vineyards and distilleries across Europe, Australia and South Africa.

For Nana Adwoa, the opportunity was not simply to sell bottles.

“At the time, a golden opportunity presented itself. Appreciation for premium wines and spirits was gaining momentum,” she said. “I believed customers deserved more than a transaction, they deserved an experience.”

Competing on expertise

Say Cheers has built its positioning around product knowledge and customer service, with its team drawing on sommelier expertise to help customers select beverages based on their preferences and the occasion.

That approach has allowed the company to compete in a market where premium customers are increasingly looking beyond the product itself to the quality of the experience surrounding it.

Its relationships with international vineyards and distilleries have also been central to the business, giving the company access to a range of premium products while allowing it to build knowledge around the producers and their offerings.

The company says consistency and trust have been more important to its growth than pursuing scale for its own sake.

From celebration to business opportunity

The decision to enter the sector was also influenced by Nana Adwoa’s observation of Ghana’s strong culture of celebrations and social gatherings.

She saw premium beverages as an opportunity to combine commerce with the experiences associated with weddings, corporate events, family celebrations and other social occasions.

The business has consequently positioned itself around a broader premium lifestyle proposition rather than treating wine and spirits purely as consumer products.

That positioning has become an important part of its identity as the company marks 25 years in business.

Building a local premium market

Say Cheers’ journey also reflects the gradual development of Ghana’s market for premium imported beverages.

As consumers become more exposed to international brands and different wine and spirits categories, businesses operating in the segment have had to offer more than product availability.

Knowledge, authenticity, product selection and customer confidence have become part of the value proposition.

For Say Cheers, this has meant developing relationships with producers, building specialist knowledge within its team and maintaining consistency in the customer experience.

The next chapter

After a quarter of a century, Nana Adwoa says the company remains focused on the principles that shaped its establishment: quality, trust and creating experiences for customers.

The anniversary marks a milestone, but also provides an opportunity for the business to consider how the premium beverage market is changing and where new opportunities may emerge.

For a Ghanaian business that began with a belief that customers would pay for expertise and experience, its 25-year journey offers a lesson in building a niche: growth does not always come from being the biggest player, but from becoming trusted for something specific.