AI is now a regular topic in business conversations, but many small business owners in Accra and beyond are still unsure where to start or which tools are worth the time and money.
MEST Africa, the Entrepreneurial Support Organisation of the Meltwater Foundation, is hosting AI for SMEs, a hands-on workshop on November 6, 2026, under the theme ” Make AI work for your business.”
We spoke with Enyonam Damesi, the Marketing Manager, about the workshop and what participants can expect.
Tech Labari (TL): Why is MEST hosting an AI workshop for SMEs, and why now?
Enyonam Damesi: Many business owners have heard a lot about AI but have not yet built it into how their business runs day to day. Costs and time are under pressure, and the tools that can help are now affordable and do not require a developer.
This workshop is meant to help entrepreneurs move from awareness to practical use. MEST has trained and invested in entrepreneurs across the continent for years, and this is a natural extension of that work.
Tech Labari (TL): Who is this workshop for?
Enyonam Damesi: The workshop is open to any business owner who wants to use their time and resources more efficiently. Registrations so far come from 11 industry categories: Agriculture and Agribusiness, Technology and Software, Food and Beverages, Education and EdTech, Manufacturing and Industrial Services, Media, Marketing and Communications, Retail and Consumer Goods, Hospitality, Healthcare, Energy and Sustainability, and other sectors.
The challenges AI can help with, such as responding to customers, keeping records, managing stock and staff, and producing marketing content, are common across industries. You do not require a technical background to start leveraging AI for your business.
TL: What will participants actually do on the day?
Enyonam Damesi: The workshop is hands-on and structured in five modules:
- AI Fundamentals for Business Owners: what AI can, and can’t, do for an SME.
- Back-Office Automation: bookkeeping, scheduling, inventory, and workflow tools.
- AI for Marketing & Content: copywriting, social content, design assistants, and tracking and measuring results.
- Automating Customer Engagement: chatbots, WhatsApp and social media auto-replies, and AI customer service.
- Building Your 90-Day AI Adoption Plan: guided support to turn everything learned into a plan for your own business.
The workshop is a working session rather than a lecture. Participants will use the tools, bring questions about their own business, and get answers from practitioners who work with businesses like theirs.
TL: Who is leading the sessions?
Enyonam Damesi: The facilitators bring a mix of strategy, engineering and transformation experience:
- Adelaide Atakora, Founder and Chief Orchestrator of Smart Business AI and an AI strategy and automation consultant. Her firm helps businesses use AI in a safe, secure and cost-effective way.
- Eugene Idan, Co-Founder and CEO of Orange Tech Consults, an MBA and AI engineer. He has over ten years of experience launching and scaling digital ventures, and builds intelligent tools to solve real business problems.
- Kenetha Brown, a Digital Transformation lead with ten years of commercial experience across the UK and West Africa. She holds an MSc from Alliance Manchester Business School, specialising in AI adoption and workflow redesign.
The facilitators work with real businesses, and they understand the questions owners tend to have about safety, cost, and how AI fits into existing workflows.
TL: What will participants take home?
Enyonam Damesi: Participants arrive with their questions and leave with a 90-day AI adoption plan for their own business. The final part of the day is set aside for building it, with support from the facilitators. The aim is for each person to leave knowing what they will do in the first week, the first month and the first quarter.
TL: What would you say to an owner who thinks their business is too small, or too far from tech, for this?
Enyonam Damesi: This workshop is designed for those businesses. If you answer the same customer questions every day, chase invoices, track stock by hand, or struggle to find time for marketing, there may be a tool that can take some of that work off your plate. We will show you where to start and how to do it safely and affordably.
TL: What does this say about MEST’s role in the AI conversation?
Enyonam Damesi: MEST’s focus has always been equipping African entrepreneurs with the skills and support to build and grow. Through MESTx, we also work with partners to expand digital-skills training across the continent.
AI is a natural next area, and we want to be a practical resource for African businesses using it. This workshop is one step, and we hope to continue the conversation afterwards.
TL: How can business owners sign up?
Enyonam Damesi: AI for SMEs takes place on November 6, 2026 with a virtual option for business owners outside Accra. Registration is free, and places are limited.
Register here: https://bit.ly/AI-FOR-SMEs-Workshop
