Ghana has been selected as the production base for Aphro Beverages, a pan-African beverage company which launched its first product, Aphro on Saturday, December 19 in Accra.

The owners of the new alcoholic drink brand have also hired a local team who have overseen the product development, Research and Development (R&D) as well as its commercialization.

In an address at the launch, the CEO of Aphro Ghana, Kojo Bucknor said he was very confident that the product will be in existence for many decades to come.

"Its distinctive quality, in terms of taste and branding, is what truly separates us from the rest. Aphro has been carefully produced, taking into consideration all the required health and safety measures, to make it the preferred alcoholic beverage in the African market. In Aphro, we have an African Beverage that meets the needs of global consumers”.

He also assured that the brand will be a pacesetter on the continent and beyond.

The company is 100 per cent self-funded by a group of friends made up of former Wall Street bankers, Private Equity Professionals, Multinational African Business Executives and one of the world’s largest selling Afrobeats Artist, Peter Okoye. It will also operate as a Free-zones entity with the goal of exporting the majority of the product to the rest of Africa and the diaspora.

A co-founder of Aphro Beverages, Peter Okoye, said the brand was an example of the excellence that can be achieved if Africans work together.

“When Africans work together in unity, we can come out with brands that can compete favourably on the global stage,” he said

He, therefore, called on “all Africans to patronize Aphro. This provides a singular opportunity for Africans to support us not just because it is our brand, but also because it is a premium high-quality brand. This is our own African brand that is equally as good as the global brands that we currently feature in our music videos and movies. Let us come together to promote a brand that is truly African.”

Aphro will retail between $25 to $35 and is available in over 300 outlets in Ghana.

Several big names in the African entertainment and business industries converged at the launch of of the product

Internationally acclaimed Nigerian musician, Peter Okoye formerly of PSquare fame; actress Juliet Ibrahim, Mawuli Gavor, AJ Sarpong and Hajia 4real were among the star-studded cast of celebrities who turned up for the launch.

Also at the launch was multiple award-winning Ghanaian rapper Sarkodie.