[5] That is a fraction of the 34m in Ghana itself, but their money matters. In 2023 the $4.6bn in remittances to Ghana was more than the country received in aid and FDI combined. In addition, hard currency goes a lot further these days. The Ghanaian cedi has lost about two-thirds of its value against the US dollar in the past five years. This has encouraged some in the diaspora to buy land while their dollars are worth more. One Somafour agent says he was asked to visit the land a customer had bought to check the quality of the plot. Dealing with bureaucrats at the land register office can also be part of the job.

[6] Other errands can be more personal, such as taking elderly relatives to the doctor or delivering drinking water to clients’ parents. Another agent recalls the funerals she has attended on behalf of friends of the deceased. She delivers donations to the bereaved families. (These may help with the cost of custom coffins that are popular in the west African country. Ghanaians have been known to be buried in coffins shaped as cars, cocoa pods and fish.)

[7] Mr Vanlare admits, however, that business has been slow so far. Many Ghanaians are wary of using an app rather than asking family for help, even if their kin are unreliable. In a global survey of values, albeit from a decade ago, just 5% of Ghanaians agreed with the statement “most people can be trusted”, a standard result for a poor country. “In the African context it is very difficult to break into family networks,” says Mr Vanlare. It is not a piece of cake.  ■