The historic visit of Czech President Petr Pavel to Ghana has put the spotlight back on a growing partnership that, while promising, remains lopsided in terms of trade. President Pavel’s visit, which marks the first time in over six decades that a Czech head of state has visited Ghana, underscores the strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between the two nations.
The visit, which began today, April 8, 2025, includes key engagements such as bilateral talks with President John Dramani Mahama, addressing a business forum, inaugurating a Czech-funded health facility, and visiting notable sites like Osu Castle and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
As the red carpets roll out and diplomatic speeches are exchanged, there’s a bigger conversation Ghana should be having: how do we shift from just receiving goods and investments from Czechia to actually exporting more of our own?
Ghana’s trade with the Czech Republic has grown steadily over the past few years. In 2020, Mr Martin Tlapa, the Deputy Minister of Czech Republic indicated in an interview that Trade between Ghana and Czech Republic reached 700 million euros, representing almost a 100 per cent increase over the figure recorded in 2019, which stood at around 340 million euros.
Yet the bulk of this trade is weighted heavily in Czechia’s favor. Findings by Trading Economics show that Ghana’s imports from the country hit $22.32 million in 2024, with items ranging from medical equipment and construction machinery to pharmaceuticals and agricultural tools. Meanwhile, Ghana’s exports to Czechia stood at just $1.12 million in 2023.
That imbalance isn’t just a statistic—it’s a missed opportunity. The Czech Republic, a country known for its strong manufacturing base and engineering expertise, has become an important development partner to Ghana. Czech companies have been involved in major infrastructure projects, from constructing polyclinics through VAMED Health Projects CZ to supplying 200 steel bridges via Knights a.s. Czech-Ghanaian mining interests have also grown, with companies like Mitrowski Ghana Limited tapping into the gold trade.
But when it comes to Ghanaian products making their way to Czech markets, the pipeline is thin.
There’s room to change that. Ghana has a rich portfolio of non-traditional exports, processed cocoa products, cashew, shea butter, textiles, artisanal crafts, and even ICT services, that could find a market in Central and Eastern Europe if given the right push. Ghanaian entrepreneurs are already exporting to the U.S. and parts of Western Europe through AGOA and EPA frameworks. With strategic support, Czechia could be a valuable new destination.
What’s missing is the deliberate infrastructure to support that shift. Trade fairs, joint export promotion forums, bilateral export task forces- these are the kinds of mechanisms that can turn handshakes into containers. Ghana’s Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and the Ministry of Trade could leverage this visit to open those channels, working with Czech trade authorities to create opportunities for Ghanaian products to land on Czech shelves.
There’s also a cultural angle worth exploring. With Czechia now playing a visible role in Ghana’s development through hospitals, bridges, and mining, it makes sense to build a two-way exchange that includes not just goods but people, services, and ideas. Tourism, higher education partnerships, and technology exchange programs can reinforce the trade relationship from the ground up.
President Pavel’s visit signals a willingness from Czechia to do more with Ghana. With the right strategy, this moment could mark the beginning of a more balanced and mutually beneficial chapter in Ghana–Czech relations.
