Ghanaian entrepreneur and TV show host Deloris Frimpong Manso
Ghanaian entrepreneur and TV show host Deloris Frimpong Manso, popularly known as Delay, shared her inspiring success journey at the Geisha National Women’s Summit & Expo 7.0 on March 7, 2025.
Reflecting on her 17-year career in the media industry, Delay revealed the challenges she faced breaking into the market.
She recounted how, at the time she aspired to become a TV presenter, most young broadcasters spoke fluent English, which was considered the standard. However, she was more comfortable speaking in her local dialect, Twi.
She explained that it was difficult for people to accept her brand, and it took various interventions for her to break through the industry.
Speaking at the International Women’s Day event themed “Accelerate Action: Overcoming Barriers to Growth of Women in Business & MSMEs” at the Grand Arena, she said, “The time I came on television, about 17 years ago, was an era where everyone was speaking English, the likes of Caroline Sampson and others. Those who spoke Twi were mostly older personalities like Maame Dokono.
“I was in my early twenties, so coming on TV for the first time and hosting an entertainment show in Akan was something new to people, and they struggled to understand it. Plus, the Twi I spoke wasn’t the usual Twi, it was indigenous Twi from Nkawkaw. People kept asking, who is this girl? what kind of language is she speaking? And the type of questions I asked shocked everyone, so they struggled to accept me.”
Delay also spoke about her business ventures. She revealed that she started her sardine business with just one container of products, which she stored in her rented apartment along with a few provisions for sale.
“When I started my food business about twelve years ago, I have said this before, I imported just one container of mackerel. I didn’t have a warehouse, so I kept it in my rented house. I was living in a two-bedroom apartment, or chamber and hall, and I stored some in my kitchen.”
However, she proudly stated that she now owns a manufacturing company in the country.
She further shared that her primary source of motivation to succeed was poverty.
“Poverty was my motivation. When you are poor, your family members will reject you. Nobody wants to associate with you, everyone will abandon you.”
AM/KA
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