“Talent Was Never the Problem. Infrastructure Was.”
Akosua Mensah on building the agency she wished existed when she started.
Akosua Mensah has spent a decade representing artists, athletes and writers across West Africa. We spoke about contracts, courage and why the continent's next great exports will be intellectual property.
When you started, what did the industry lack most?
Not talent — never talent. What was missing was the boring stuff: lawyers who understood royalties, accountants who understood touring, and managers who saw a career as a twenty-year project.
What has changed?
Artists now arrive with leverage. They have audiences that nobody gave them.
“The next great African exports will be rights, not raw materials.”
What worries you?
Speed. People are signing long deals for short money because the money arrives quickly. Patience is a competitive advantage.