Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, will lead an economic partnership mission to Ghana and South Africa.
Africa is home to the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population, with more than 1.5 billion people. While individual markets vary, Africa is a region where demographic expansion, economic development, and rising consumer demand are expected to converge over the coming decades. Wisconsin companies already partner with Ghana and South African economies and businesses to help support the state’s agriculture industry, as well as manufacturing and healthcare.
“As a former Wisconsin manufacturer who grew our family business by exporting globally, including to South Africa, it’s important to recognize that Wisconsin businesses have a meaningful presence in both Ghana and South Africa,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO John Miller. “Through trade relationships, distribution partnerships, and investment opportunities, Wisconsin companies operating in these two markets contribute to job creation, technology transfer, and economic growth while strengthening the state’s commercial ties across Africa.”
Planned stops include Niche Cocoa Industry Ltd., which is the largest cocoa processor in Ghana and operates its North American manufacturing facility in Franklin, Wisconsin. This partnership is the largest African foreign direct investment project in the food and beverage industry in the U.S. Additionally, South Africa hosts a large concentration of Wisconsin business activity, including exports of industrial machinery, medical devices, agricultural products, and specialized manufacturing inputs. While there, the governor will meet with Wisconsin companies with an established African presence and government officials to discuss future economic opportunities.
This will be the governor’s fourth trade mission since being elected in 2018. The governor has previously led trade and investment missions in Japan in 2019, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg in 2023, and Germany and France in 2025. The trade mission is set to occur later this month.
