The technology industry at Circle

When you mention Circle in Accra, most citizens recall the place as chaotic, full of pickpockets, and a crossroads to many locations in the country due to its numerous transport stations. But there is more to Circle than meets the eye.

Over the years, Circle has become the hub for mobile phone and IT-related sales and repairs. You can find or repair almost anything, much like Magazine in Kumasi.

I once witnessed a repair that was nothing short of miraculous, performed by Yusuf, "the Apple mechanic." An Apple laptop with a severely scratched screen, making it difficult to see through, was brought to him. Yusuf used a self-made solution and, astonishingly, an iron sponge to clean it. After about 10 minutes, the result was a screen barely recognizable—it looked brand new, as though it had just come from the store. For the equivalent of just 10 US dollars, the laptop owner could now enjoy a crystal-clear screen!

In contrast, at an Apple store in Amsterdam, the ambiance would likely have been quite different: staff in medical coats and surgical gloves offering two solutions—replacing the screen or replacing the entire machine—both at costs you can imagine.

Today, I want to celebrate Yusuf, the Apple mechanic, his boss Gaddafi, and all the hardworking individuals who keep Ghana close to the developed world by ensuring people can use expensive machines, mobile phones, and other electronic gadgets every single day. These are the people who find ways to keep you working when your gadgets decide to give up, especially in this tough economy where the US dollar trades at 1 to 15 Ghana cedis.

This is Yusuf, the Apple mechanic.