Power & Pattern: The Nana Benz Women Who Built West Africa’s Ankara Economy
Before Ankara became the cultural emblem it is today, it was cargo, offloaded in ports like Lomé, Accra, and Lagos, with no particular meaning or story attached. What transformed it from product to power was not just pattern or pigment, but people. Specifically, a generation of Togolese women traders known as the Nana Benz.
From the 1940s to the 1970s, these women created one of the most fascinating economic ecosystems in West African history. By controlling the distribution of wax print fabrics, they shaped consumer trends, built a business empire, dictated style, and redefined what women could do in commerce during a time when many were still sidelined from formal power.
Who Were the Nana Benz?
The name “Nana Benz” came from their penchant for luxury, most famously, their love of Mercedes-Benz cars, which they drove with pride through the streets of Lomé. But they weren’t just status symbols; they were strategic businesswomen. These women purchased wax prints in bulk from European manufacturers, especially the Dutch owned Vlisco, and tailored the imports to West African tastes.
They had an uncanny ability to predict what prints would resonate locally, often influencing what got produced in the first place. Some even collaborated directly with textile companies, guiding design choices and securing exclusive rights to specific patterns.
By the mid-20th century, the Nana Benz were more than traders. They were tastemakers, gatekeepers, and financial powerhouses. Their influence reached beyond fashion: they funded political campaigns, invested in real estate, and supported entire communities.
Style Meets Strategy
What set the Nana Benz apart was their understanding that wax print wasn’t just fabric, it was a language. They marketed Ankara as a tool of self expression, social commentary, and communal identity. A single print could be named after a political figure, a social phenomenon, or a personal milestone.
Their control of distribution meant they could create scarcity and desire. Owning a rare print was a status symbol. Wearing certain patterns became coded messages. Style became strategy and the Nana Benz were fluent in both.
A Legacy That Lives On
In a previous article, we traced Ankara’s surprising global journey from Southeast Asian batik knockoff to African icon. But it’s through women like the Nana Benz that the fabric gained cultural soul. They sold cloth with purpose, embedding meaning, fostering artistry, and shaping the foundations of modern West African fashion.
Their legacy lives on in today’s African fashion economy. Look at entrepreneurs like Folake Coker, Omoyemi Akerele, or Radmila Lolly, women who are building empires not unlike the Nana Benz, blending creativity with commerce.
Even social media stylists, seamstresses, and small business owners in Accra or Lagos are part of this lineage: using fabric not just to dress bodies, but to signal power, identity, and independence.
What Happened to the Nana Benz?
By the 1980s and 1990s, their dominance began to wane. Currency devaluations, shifts in trade policy, and the rise of cheaper imports (especially from Asia) upended the textile economy. Their close ties to ruling parties also made them vulnerable to political instability.
But the echo’s of their reign remain. They laid the foundation for an entire generation of women led fashion and textile businesses across the continent. And their model of collaboration with manufacturers, cultural literacy, and community investment is still studied and, in many ways, unmatched.
The Nana Benz were cultural economists who shaped economies and identities through wax and thread. Their legacy reminds us that African fashion has long carried layers of meaning, deeply tied to power, politics, and community.
What We Can Learn from the Nana Benz
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Mastering Market Intuition
They had a deep understanding of their customers’ desires, using instinct and experience to guide business decisions. Something today’s creatives shouldn’t underestimate. -
Reinvesting in Community Wealth
Their success wasn’t individualistic. They built schools, supported families, and uplifted entire communities. A reminder that true legacy is collective. -
Owning the Supply Chain
From negotiating directly with manufacturers to shaping design, they controlled more than just sales. Ownership gave them influence. -
Fusing Style with Status
Their fashion choices were deliberate. Part identity, part statement. It was branding before “personal brand” became a buzzword. -
Balancing Soft Power and Strategy
Beyond money, they traded in trust, relationships, and reputation. Assets just as valuable in any era of business.
