This CEO’s story has power. Anthony Dzamefe, the founder of Caveman Watches, is paving the way for young leaders in the corporate world.
The Ghanaian entrepreneur went from hawking replica watches on the streets of the capital, Accra, to building his own brand of timepieces.
“Sometimes being a middleman doesn’t cost anything; that’s basically how I started,” Dzamefe told Asaase 99.5 Accra’s Winifred Lartey.
“By just taking pictures of somebody’s watch and posting them online, I started making sales, selling watches that I didn’t own.
“It didn’t require capital to buy the watches to sell; I only took pictures of the person’s watch and started selling them and making money,” he recalled.
Dzamefe believes he has a lot to offer by inspiring, motivating and leading the next generation of Ghanaian entrepreneurs and leaders in business.
Caveman means more than just watches
The Dzamefe story is the foundation of his brand.
“Everybody has their own story; no two people’s stories are the same,” he said. “So, nobody can replicate my story, and I can’t replicate anybody’s story.
“The way you see things from an artistic standpoint differs from how I see things from an artistic standpoint. It’s just our personal differences that make us all different and make us special in our own way,” he said.
According to him, his story is a textbook fairy tale of starting with nothing and building something out of it.
“And then actually dreaming, planning, working hard and executing things with consistency: that is what I have been doing.
“It is not easy, but I think my life, my business and my example have become like a textbook from a distance for others to watch and also believe that ‘yes, it is possible’,” Dzamefe said.
Dive deeper into the world of cavemen
Dzamefe says that wristwatches are things that actually gain value with time.
“Just like cavemen crafted things in the past, we will maintain that handcraft element, so that when everything becomes mechanised and AI-integrated, we will have a huge core of our brand that is hand-made.
“The whole idea is to build a brand that will incorporate elements of handcraft and interoperability, like how the caveman is noted for no technology use but used his hands to build things that are still valuable today,” Dzamefe said.
He noted that the Caveman brand will maintain handcraft in all of its manufacturing processes and ensure that it builds watches which can be passed down through generations.
“Like the Egyptian pyramids, the scientists of today cannot figure out how those things were built with no machines and no technology. I place a lot of value on handcraft.”
Starting business with no capital
Dzamefe says he has been able to manoeuvre his way around the business terrain with minimal capital, which is usually the big challenge for most young Ghanaians.
“I do believe strongly that it is possible to start a business with no financial capital like I did,” he said.
“Even building relationships with someone could be considered ‘capital’.”
Failure is part of success
According to the 33-year-old CEO, failure is part of success.
“I can’t separate them. I used to think that there was a point in your life where you could say you have achieved success, but I’ve come to realise that there is no such point. It’s an illusion.
“It is a whole journey of your failures and your getting up again and not giving up. So, I think the not giving up part is what makes you a successful person,” Dzamefe concluded.
Winifred Lartey
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