Cityscape of downtown Kigali, the growing capital city of Rwanda. By Halona Black ·Updated March 7, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

In recent years, the idea of returning to the African continent has captured the imagination of many Black Americans. Social media is >Kelis, who has documented building a farm ecosystem in Kenya, have added to the growing curiosity about what life and work on the continent might look like.

But building a life and a business there requires far more than a plane ticket and a dream.

For Black American women entrepreneurs, the reality often involves navigating unfamiliar systems, building trust in new markets, and unlearning assumptions shaped by life in the United States. The romantic idea of “returning” can quickly collide with the everyday work of entrepreneurship: negotiating local business cultures, adapting to different infrastructure, and building relationships that make long-term ventures possible.

Still, many say the rewards — both personal and professional—are worth it.

From a spa owner in Ghana, to a communications strategist in Rwanda, and an investor building real estate across the continent, these women are creating businesses that reflect both the promise and the complexity of diasporans exploring entrepreneurship in Africa.

Building a PR Agency in Rwanda

When autumn marie left New York City, she wasn’t planning to launch a company. She was looking for a break. After years in the fast-paced communications world, she wanted distance from what she describes as the relentless “rat race” of American life. Her move initially took her to Mauritius with her husband, who had spent more than a decade living and working on the continent. Not long after, the couple relocated to Rwanda for his job.

What was supposed to be a pause in her career quickly turned into a new venture. “I kept seeing gaps in the market,” she says. Drawing on her background in communications, she founded KGL FWD (pronounced Kigali Forward), a Kigali-based public relations agency focused on storytelling, brand positioning, and strategic communications for companies operating in Rwanda and across East Africa.

Launching the agency, she says, was surprisingly straightforward. “Opening a business here is actually quite accessible,” she explains. “The filing process is clear, and institutions are open to working with entrepreneurs.” But the real challenge wasn’t paperwork — it was earning trust.

“It means a lot when someone trusts you with their vision or their company anywhere in the world,” she says. “But being able to build that trust here, when you’re not from here, is huge.”

That credibility has allowed her agency to work with organizations including RwandAir, ONOMO Hotel, Africa Soft Power, and international cultural exchange groups like Nomadness Travel Tribe bringing visitors from the diaspora to Rwanda. Her firm has also helped build professional infrastructure in the industry, including the Rwanda Communications Network.

For autumn marie, seeing those projects come to life has been deeply rewarding. “You step back and you can see the vision coming to fruition,” she says. “That’s when you realize the trust people placed in you was worth it.”

She also advises Black American women considering business ventures on the continent to approach the work with humility. “Don’t try to copy and paste the models that work in the US,” she says. “Bring your skills and experiences, but be ready to learn the ways of doing business that work here. You’re not coming to solve everything — you’re coming to contribute.”

Creating a Spa Sanctuary in Ghana

For Maya Gilliam, the >Ma’ati Spa in East Legon, a suburb of Accra, had already spent more than a decade running a successful spa in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. But after visiting Ghana and seeing the country’s rapid development, she began to imagine building something there.

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her business in the United States, she made the leap. Maya sold her properties in the US, built 3 homes in Ghana and opened Ma’ati Spa, a lush wellness space that attracts both locals and international visitors.

The Instagram version of her life in Ghana may look idyllic, but she’s quick to remind people that the reality involves serious work. “There’s the beautiful side people see online,” she says. “But behind the scenes, there’s chaos and a lot of building.”

One of her first lessons came quickly: Americans often pay more. “With my American accent, people were overcharging me constantly,” she says. “You absolutely need someone local who can negotiate on your behalf.” Eventually, Maya became a naturalized Ghanaian citizen, allowing her to fully own her business without having to use a local partner.

Gilliam manages the spa’s Instagram account herself, drawing on her background in television production, film, and graphic design. For her, controlling the visual narrative of the brand is essential. That storytelling also includes highlighting some of the spa’s signature treatments. One of them is what she calls the waterfall massage.

“The waterfall massage is my original concept,” she says. “I’m the first person to do waterfall massage in West Africa — and possibly the world. When I created it, I searched online to see if anyone else was doing it and I didn’t find anything.” The treatment has since become one of the spa’s distinctive offerings, part of Maya’s broader vision to create wellness experiences rooted in the landscape and culture of Ghana.

The most ful>Wandi Steward, entrepreneurship in Africa looks a little different. At 62, Wandi is brand new to entrepreneurship in Africa. She divides her time between impact work and real estate investments across the continent. One of her passion projects is the Afrikan Baby Book Project, a Rwanda-based initiative aimed at increasing access to culturally relevant children’s books across Africa. “It’s not something that makes a lot of money,” she says. “But it’s something that has impact.”

Alongside that work, Wandi has been steadily building a portfolio of real estate investments, including land in Rwanda and an income-generating apartment in Cape Town, South Africa’s city center.

Wandi quickly learned that operating in African markets requires letting go of the expectations many Americans bring with them. “There aren’t always standardized systems,” she says. “You have to be prepared for things to work differently.” In the US, buyers are accustomed to clearly defined roles for real estate agents, attorneys, and inspectors. In Rwanda, she found a much more fluid environment.

“You can have multiple brokers — or commissioners as they call them — on one property,” she says. “You might have to pay them all, and they are negotiable.” Learning how to navigate that landscape required patience and a willingness to unlearn assumptions. “Patience,” she says. “That’s putting it nicely.” 

Despite the unpredictability, Wandi believes the continent offers powerful opportunities for entrepreneurs who approach it with the right mindset. “Africa gives you the greatest opportunity for self-actualization or failure,” she says. “You have to have a certain amount of grit, patience, humility, and humor.”

For Black American women considering building businesses on the continent, she offers simple advice: do your research, bring more resources than you think you’ll need, and take the time to integrate into the local community. “You cannot go it alone,” she says.

Lessons From the Journey

While each woman’s story is unique, their advice for Black American women considering business ventures in Africa is strikingly similar: do extensive research before making the move, bring more money than you think you’ll need, and above all, be prepared to adapt. Despite the challenges, all three say the experience of building businesses on the continent has transformed them. Their stories reveal a more nuanced picture of diaspora entrepreneurship in Africa — one that isn’t simply a romantic return, but a process of learning, building relationships, and creating something meaningful across cultures. And for these women, that work is only just beginning.

The post From Ghana To Rwanda, These Black American Women Are Building Businesses On The Continent appeared first on Essence.

Read the original article on Essence.