At this year’s Chale Wote Street Art Festival, Ghanaian artist Morris Frimpong showcased Colony of Congo, a fashion and creative brand that merges history, sustainability, and commerce to carve out a niche in Africa’s growing creative economy.
Frimpong’s concept transforms colonial history into a business model. Drawing on the legacy of King Leopold II’s exploitative rule of Congo, the brand name Colony of Congo, according to him, symbolizes Africa’s broader colonial experience. He said the idea is to reclaim history as both an educational tool and a marketable cultural product. “We Africans have to come to a point where we start using history as a brand, it’s not about profit alone but also about cultural and educational value,” Frimpong explained.
The enterprise also champions sustainability. Frimpong sources second-hand clothing from local upcyclers, turning waste imports into wearable art. By doing so, he seeks to reduce production costs and address Ghana’s growing landfill problem, which he blames on the dumping of low-quality used clothes and electronics from abroad. “If it was sellable like the ones we are using to make Colony of Congo, then it makes sense. But most end up as waste that damages our environment,” he said.
Unlike many start-ups, Colony of Congo is self-funded. Frimpong stressed that the greatest investment so far has been time, creativity, and persistence rather than capital. “The cost is just the time I’m investing, the actual fun is in pushing an idea to work when it doesn’t at first,” he said.
Ventures like Frimpong’s reflect a wider shift in Africa’s creative economy, where art, history, and sustainability converge into new business models with global appeal. The fashion and creative industries are projected to add millions of jobs across the continent, with Africa’s youthful population driving demand for innovative and culturally resonant products.
Frimpong sees his audience as global rather than limited to Ghana’s domestic market. “Ghana is part of it, but not my actual audience. My audience is worldwide,” he said, pointing to opportunities in international markets where sustainable fashion and African storytelling are gaining traction.
By positioning Colony of Congo at the intersection of history, sustainability, and fashion, Frimpong hopes to demonstrate how African entrepreneurs can build profitable ventures that also confront legacies of exploitation and highlight the continent’s creative potential.
