New Year’s Cocktail: Organized by GNBCC in Partnership with Tale Beer, Hosted by Mama Cuisine

Last Thursday, in keeping with our annual tradition to kickstart the year, we held our New Year’s networking cocktail at Mama Cuisine in Accra for the first time, partnering with GNBCC member, Tale Beer.

In line with our renewed commitment to organize themed networking events, we focused this gathering on supporting entrepreneurship. We invited SME participants from our projects, specifically targeting the Horticulture Business Challenge (HBC) and Women in Business cohorts, to exhibit their products. Present were Verte Tower, Koco D’Luv, Shea by Ash, Fortune Coffee, and Farmitecture. From the interactions and engagements we witnessed, it was clear that even though this was a networking cocktail, members were eager to learn more about these products, with many making purchases and establishing business connections for follow-up.

Hilde Famaey, General Manager of GNBCC, welcomed all guests and thanked them for attending. She expressed special gratitude to the members for working with the GNBCC team last year and engaging in a packed line-up of activities. She also announced the release of GNBCC 365, our 2025 annual magazine, which covers all events and activities held in the past year.

She recounted the warm welcome she received upon her arrival last year, around the same time as she officially joined the Chamber as GM. She thanked the team and board members for the support and noted that, following up on new initiatives organized last year like the CEO/CFO Dinner, there is a line-up of even more impactful activities planned. These include a Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony and a CSR activity for members, among others.

She later welcomed Project Managers Tracy Abbey Mensah and Benjamin Agamah to introduce their respective projects, Women in Business and the Horticulture Business Challenge, to the audience.

The event collaborators, Tale Beer and Mama Cuisine, were represented by Arnold and Rochelle, who addressed the gathering to speak about their businesses. Tale Beer is a premium Ghanaian craft beer brand produced by Specialty Beers Ghana Limited (SBL). Brewed in Nsawam, it features a unique fusion of local African ingredients and Belgian brewing technology. Mama Cuisine is a restaurant located inside the Alliance Française campus that serves Ghanaian dishes alongside international plates in a beautiful, warm environment. Consistent with the theme of promoting African entrepreneurship, all food served was locally sourced, featuring a strong blend of Ghanaian ingredients and spices with a touch of continental style.

To close the address segment, Hilde thanked Barnabas Apom for his 10 years of service to the GNBCC. Barnabas will be stepping down from his role as his contract ends to continue with his own firm, ResearchLime. The staff joined on stage as we bid him farewell, and HR & Operations Head, Naana Biney Ohemeng, presented a plaque in appreciation of his service.

The networking continued until late in the evening. Thank you to the over 80 attendees who were actively present in making our first gathering a success. It is a good sign for a very engaging year ahead! Cheers!