As videos of xenophobic attacks targeting Ghanaians circulate online, one question is spreading faster than the clips: Why have South African-owned businesses in Ghana not issued public statements condemning the violence?
As of now, major South African brands operating in Ghana — MTN Group, MultiChoice(date, gotv), . Absa Bank, Stanbic Bank, Shoprite Holdings, Woolworths, Engen , AngloGold Ashanti, Game Stores, SABMiller and others have not published official statements on their Ghana channels addressing the attacks. This absence is being noticed, debated, and criticized across radio, social media, and market centers.
What people are seeing vs. what companies usually do
In past crises, companies move fast. During #EndSARS in Nigeria, during floods, or during political tension, brands often post: “We stand for peace,” “Safety of our staff and customers is priority.” It’s part of modern corporate PR: protect reputation, protect staff, protect customers.
So the silence now feels loud. For many Ghanaians, it reads as indifference. “If my shop was attacked, I’d expect my business partner to speak up,” one Accra trader told a local radio station. The sentiment is simple: South Africa is our sister nation. Ghana supported the anti-apartheid struggle. If Ghanaians are being attacked, why the quiet?
3 possible reasons for the silence — not excuses, just context
1. Corporate policy & legal caution: Multinationals often route crisis statements through head offices in Johannesburg. Local Ghana branches may not have authority to speak until HQ approves wording. Legal teams also worry about statements that could be seen as interfering in another country’s internal affairs.
2. Risk assessment: Speaking out can cut both ways. Condemn violence in South Africa and risk backlash there. Stay silent in Ghana and face backlash here. Some firms choose “strategic silence” while engaging quietly with government and security agencies.
3. Timing & verification: Companies wait for verified facts before commenting. In fast-moving social media cycles, that caution can look like delay. By the time a verified statement is ready, public anger has already moved on.
The cost of saying nothing
In Ghana’s market, perception is currency. MTN has 25+ million subscribers here. Stanbic serves thousands of SMEs. Shoprite and Game sit in malls where thousands of Ghanaian families shop weekly. When people feel their pain is ignored by brands they fund daily, trust erodes.
And trust is everything for foreign business in Ghana. “Social license to operate” isn’t in any contract, but it decides whether customers defend you or boycott you when tension rises.
What Ghanaians are asking for
The demand isn’t complex: a clear statement. Not politics. Not taking sides in SA domestic issues. Just 3 lines:
1. Violence against any person is wrong.
2. We value our Ghanaian customers, staff, and community.
3. We support law enforcement and peaceful coexistence.
Even that would change the tone of the conversation. Silence, on the other hand, lets others fill the gap with anger, rumors, and boycott calls.
South African businesses have built 20+ years of investment in Ghana on a foundation of mutual benefit. That foundation shakes when people are hurt and the brands people see every day say nothing.
Whether the silence is policy, timing, or miscalculation, the result is the same: Ghanaians are asking, “Do you see us?”
A statement won’t stop every attack. But it would show that business here is not just about profit. It’s also about people. And in a country where, as we discussed earlier, many already feel politics is a “crime scene” with no accountability, corporate voices for basic human dignity matter even more.