March 2017 - Page 3 of 3 - kristoasafousa.com

The Family Behind Ghana’s Made To Survive Anything Car

A pastor is perhaps an unlikely candidate to become Ghana's first car manufacturer. But that's what Apostle Kwadwo Safo, founder of the Christ Reformed Church, and who is known locally as the "Star of Africa", has done.

And the inventor has become something of a legend in Ghana, virtually no history of manufacturing. As a child he'd had a knack for building things, and before becoming a pastor he'd trained as a welder. :(My father) had ambiyion and foresight. He thought of everything in preparation of Kantanka", says Safo's son, Kwadwo safo Jr.. Today, Kantanka Group is split into an electronics division and a car manufacturing company--Ghana's first car maker.

Made in Ghana

The "made in Ghana" cars were modeled for tough local conditions--and, to prove it, the Ghana Police test drove them. Safo Jr, 31, says he has learned a lot from his father.

"We are expanding our current production line to include a lower-end model which we will launch before the end of the year", he says. We have made quite significant sales, including a very important one to the office of the President". Safo Jr

31-year old Kwadwo safo Jr. is the CEO of the family's car Business

Safo Jr. didn't always plan to be in the car business. After studying in London, in 2006 he went to earn his pilot's license in the United States. In 2009, he returned to Ghana and earned a bachelor's degree in public administration before joining the family business.

As for being a pilot?

"The dream changed, it's been put on hold", he said. Safo Jr says operating in Ghana isn't without difficulties: at times there are power cuts and getting fuel needed for back-up generators can be hard.

Apprentices work at Apostle Safo Technology Research Center in Gomoa Mpota, Ghana.

Believe in yourself

One of the biggest challenges is getting customers to believe in "made in Ghana". "People think the doors will come off or the tires will blow off or something", he said.

Though the company has had positive reviews, Kantanka is still a relatively small operator competing with well established foreign rivals. The manufacturer can produce 150 cars a month, and with high production costs at home, the cheapest of its three models costs about $20,000.00.

"We need to be able to produce at a more affordable rate. There are high import charges in Ghana", he says. "Once you are determined and you want to do it, it's not hard" he says.

Source: CNN.com

Gov’t Acquires Kantanka Vehicles For Presidency

The office of the Vice President has taken delivery of two Kantanka Onantefuo 4x4 vehicles to add to the fleet of vehicles at the Presidency. A third vehicle is expected to be delivered in due course. This action is in fulfilment of the government's pledge to support the Kantanka Automobile Company to thrive and give meaning to the campaign for Ghanaians to patronise locally manufactured products.

Kantanka vehicles:

Receiving the vehicles at the Kantanka Automobile Assembly Plant at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region on Tuesday, the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, expressed optimism about the prospects of the Kantanka Automobile Company founded by Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo.

The assembly plant is where the various types of Kantanka vehicles are made, including the electric saloon and electric four-wheel drives, an electric SUV called Nkunimdie, the Kantanka Onantefuo 4x4 pick-up and the Kantanka Opasuo Range.

Facility visit

The Vice-President, who was conducted round the assembly plant by the Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr Kwadwo Safo Jnr, said the vehicles could compete with other imported vehicles, particularly as their spare parts were readily available on the local market.

He stated that procuring the vehicles was in the line with government's call to the citizenry to patronise made in Ghana goods and added that "this is only the beginning; with time we will get there". Mr Amissah-Arthur visited the welding line, the spraying room, the general assembly line(rain tests) and test line of the plant.

Exhibition

Apostle Safo, on an annual basis, displays his products at an event dubbed: "Technology exhibition of the Kristo Asafo Mission" in Accra which provides a platform for him to showcase his innovations.

At the last exhibition in January this year, he displayed a Kantanka 4x4 cross country vehicle, a Kantanka saloon car which is started by the wave of a handkerchief, a six-cylinder car engine with a radiator, military warfare apparel and some electric devices.

Mr Amissah-Arthur, who was the guest of honour at the event, noted that innovation and technology were a prerequisite for national development and expressed the government's readiness to support Apostle Safo to propel his mission to higher heights.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Kantanka Automobile Plant Inaugurated

The first of 35 vehicles made by the Kantanka Automobile Manufacturing Company, an indigenous Ghanaian vehicle-manufacturing company, will be on the Ghanaian market.

Two models of sports utility vehicles, the Kantana Omama and the Kantanka Onantefo, will be unveiled, together with the Kantanka K71 saloon car, in Accra. The company is expected to increase production to 70 vehicles by January 2016. the price per vehicle will be announced at the ceremony, but reliable sources say it starts from GH 76,000.00.

Prior to that he was a master technician at the Suame Magazine in Kumasi in the 1970's before he ventured into Gospel ministry.

As a music enthusiast, Apostle Safo started with the manufacture of electrical drums with brain units, loud speakers, professional mixing consoles, amplifiers, pre-amps and seven-stringed bass guitar (the first of its kind in the world at the time).

He then moved into the manufacture of sewing and embroidery machines, corn mills, combine harvesters, solar panels, anti-gravity devices, multi-purpose mobile block moulding machines capable of producing 16 to 18 blocks at a time, human-sensor television sets and many more.

He manufactured his first automobile, the Kantanka Saloon, in 1998 and a cross-country four wheel drive, the Kantanka Onantefo 1, in 2006. On December 30, 2007, Apostle Safo unveiled a 26-foot long Limousine style cross-country vehicle, the Kantanka Obrempong, at the church's 27th annual charity and technology fair at Awoshie in Accra. On the same day, he launched an excavator. All his products are made from local materials.

He also brought to the public scene the Kantanka jet, an air-conditioned, four seater aircraft he manufactured. In 2012, he launched a sports utility vehicle, the Kantanka Nsoromma, which is powered by a shirt. In the same year, he introduced another 4x4 vehicle, the "kantanka Daasebre", which is powered and steer-controlled by a wristwatch.

In June 2007. he released an advanced model of the Kantanka Onantefo 11, which, like all his cars, was driven through most parts of the country for testing.That same year, he unveiled a solar-powered non engine saloon car, the Kantanka Odeneho.

In 2013, he unveiled the Kantanka Otumfuo, a four-wheel drive that is ignited with a walking stick; the Kanatanka Odeneho11, an upgraded version of the Kantanka Odeneho 1, the KTK 02, a defensive helicopter, the Kantanka passenger ailiner and Kantanka Bazookas.

Tax Exemption

Speaking at the inauguration of the company's manufacturing plant at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region of yesterday, the Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquinas Tawiah Quansah, called on the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to enter into a special arrangement with the company to grant it some tax reliefs for some time.

That, he sad, would afford the company the opportunity to become well-grounded for maximum output. He said the tax concession would also ensure that the prices of the vehicles would be competitive enough for Ghanaians to patronise them.

'Leadership must patronise vehicles'

Mr Quansah also called on the political leadership and other business to patronise the Kantanka vehicles in order to promote the brand and provide a worthy example for the rest of Ghanaians to emulate.

He said the move by the company would provide an easy opportunity for Ghanaians who patronised its vehicles to be spared the ordeal of having to import vehicle parts often at high cost.

In an address read on his behalf, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, said over the years, Ghanaians had been asking when the Kantanka vehicles would be available in commercial quantities, saying that had now become a reality, to the pride of all Ghanaians.

Ghana ready for global automobile market

The achievement by the Kantanka Automobile Manufacturing Company, he said, was a clear signal that Ghana was ready to play in the global space of the automobile industry. He said the success of the company was timely, coming on the heels of President Mahama's launch of made-in-Ghana goods and services.

He said the government was committed to playing a leading role in ensuring that the automobile industry thrived. Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo recounted that the success of his automobile company was attributable to hard work and the penchant to succeed.

Resilience:

He said in spite of many challenges that he encountered, in addition to the tendency on the part of some people to mock his vision, he continued to aim high and told himself that he could make it.

"It is good to believe in God, but you do not pray and sit down expecting God to let manna fall from Heaven. You must take the steps to do something and God will crown it with success", he said.

Source: Graphic online

Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo Donates Kantanka 4×4 To Ghana Police Service

Of course Ghanaians can do a lot of things but the problem lies with those in leadership and also those in the bottom-who see everything foreign superior and everything local inferior.

For many years, Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo has been inventing things- ranging from robots to aeroplanes and though his Kantanka cars are yet to go on commercial sale, a donation of a Kantanka Pick-up has been made to the Ghana Police Service and to be frank, it looks beautiful and well put together.

Ghanaian actor-John Dumelo who is a friend of ApostleDr. Kwadwo Safo's son - also called Kwadwo safo was recently spotted driving one of the Kantanka Ghana made cars. And we thought it was a good move to have the star take pride in Kantanka inventions.

The donated vehicle pictured above is beautiful-with the people of Ghana and the government's support, imagine what this man and his company can do?

Proudly made in Ghana but unappreciated by Ghanaians and the government, instead, we will go to India and pay them millions to import their cars for our seurity forces when we could award the contract to Kantanka...

Source: Ghanacelebrities

Kristo Asafo Mission Donates To KATH

The Kristo Asafo Mission has donated two 32-inch LE.

The items are to enhance the knowledge of doctors, who in turn would focus on the patients with visuals and other education materials to relax them while at the ward.

A member of the legal team of Kristo Asafo, Akua Sika Safo said the presentation forms part of Dr. Apostle Kwadwo Safo's yearly philanthropic gesture to the country's major facilities. It is also coincides with the founder's birthday.

The head of the Trauma and Orthopaedic Unit of the hospital, Dr. Vincent Ativor, commended the mission for its continual support and bringing hope to both doctors and patients alike.

Kristo Asafo Mission, known for its interest in agriculture and support for the needy, was founded by Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo in February 3, 1971.

It was to practise the gospel through preaching to feed the needy. He is gifted with technological ideas and has come out with lots of inventions and is adding value to already existing ones.

Source: Ashantiweb

Amazing Ghana, Car Which Runs On Just Cells

Kantanka Odeneho is a five-passenger seating drive (4WD) without an internal combustion engine. It runs on a total prime over power of 144V DC been generated by 12 accumulators. There are two charging systems for the car - an external charging system and an internal charging system.The internal charging system uses an extra accumulator to power an inverter and the inveter simultaneously charges the 12 batteries while the car is accelerating. The internal charging is manual and can be switched on or off when the car is in motion.

The external charging system uses 144V which makes it suitable for the world market. The charging modes are Quick Charge Mode and an Overnight Charge Mode.. The Quick Charge Mode takes a maximum of 15 minutes to complete the charging and the Overnight Charge Mode takes a maximum of three hours to complete the charging. The life span of the accumulators is estimated to be a year. Thus, it is far economical than any vehicle on the market.

The vehicle has a maximum speed of 240km/h and a takeoff speed of 20km/h. At the maximum speed, it takes a maximum of 10 second to bring the car to a complete stop. The car has a stereo player as well as an internal cooling fan unlike other electric cars on the market. Made in Ghana by Apostle Dr. Engineer Kwadwo Safo.

Source: Newsghana

Check Out Apostle Safo Kantanka’s Car That Doesn’t Use Fuel

With surge in fuel prices weekly and current economic crisis in Ghana, it can only be advisable to find "plan b" solutions to our problems since the government is not doing enough to help car owners and fuel prices keep jumping higher at a fast pace. It seems Apostle Kwadwo Safo has got the remedy to our solutions.

As part of his inventions he has released the latest one called "Kantanka Odeneho 2" SUV which doesn't rely on fuel or gas power but rather multiple batteries. I guess it makes sense as an owner of this SUV won't have to worry about fuel prices going up or down.

From the pictures, we can see that the car uses about 13 batteries to power it, do you think this is a smart or a bit over the top. I personally think if it could use less batteries, it would make sense but then again an SUV not using fuel and relying on battery power alone with AC and other power consuming specs can't rely on small battery power for long distance so I guess it makes sense.

Source: omgghana

Ghana’s Talented But Ignored Inventors

A father and his pilot son in a country with no history of manufacturing are making products that will stun the world.

Accra, Ghana- Imagine having a television set that comes on after an effortless clap or by blowing air, picture yourself in a car that is engineless and starts with a simple button tucked to your dress; or a change-over machine that speaks and tells you where exactly a fire or electrical fault is.

The brains behind this is Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo, owner of the Kantanka Group of Companies. He is naturally gifted. A genius, an inventor and a philanthropist. He has no formal or sophisticated technical background. he imagines, dreams and create at will. He lives in his own world.

It takes about 45 minutes from Accra, the capital, to reach his "city" at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region of Ghana. It is set apart from the hustle and bustle of cosmopolitan Accra. His flag - blue, red , yellow and white stars embossed on the blue hue - constantly flies at a junction on the highway you reach after going past beautiful green landscape that lead to his location.

It is a large tract of land. The buildings are huge. The ambiance is engaging. It has a natural touch and feel, complete with tortoises - the oldest is 40 years - and a porcupine, evidence of Safo's love for nature.

Engineless Car

A large African map showing a picture of Apostle Safo spinning a ball imprinted with pictures, a huge star beneath it and a miniature aircraft welcome visitors.

It takes close to two-and-a-half hours to tour his complex in a car. His son, Kwadwo Safo Jnr, a commercial pilot who acquired his licence at age 19, welcomed Al Jazeera. He is the group's chief operations officer.

After driving past the tortoises, the first point of call was a workshop where a chopper was being manufactured alongside a hand-made engineless five-seater vehicle.

Safo Jnr said they will ensure there is no risk in test-flying the chopper and explained how the engineless car will work. "The no-engine vehicle does not rely on a combustion engine to move, but an electric motor powered by rechargeable batteries," Safo Jnr told Al Jazeera.

The batteries can be recharged with solar energy or electricity. As you drive the car on the road, it converts the energy which powers the car. "We do everything here. For the engineless car it is only the lights and the tyres that were bought. Everything else from moulding (parts), among others, was doe by our local people".

A peacock bade us goodbye from that section, then three zebra smiled at us as we drove on an untatted road towards the colossal buildings on the outskirts. They are four i all, neatly painted and look abandoned when viewed from distance.

The structures serve as the assembling plants for the yet-to-be unveiled Kantanka range of commercial vehicles (SUVs) and pickup trucks. Although some car parts are imported, assembling the more than 1,500 pieces for a car and spraying are done by about 20 young men between the ages of 16-25.

Six to 10 cars can be assembled and be ready for the road in a day. Four had been completed and tested by the time Al Jazeera visited. It is hard to tell they were actually assembled in Ghana, save for Kantanka crown and inscription at the back.

Market Plans

"we are hoping to increase the number to 12 or 15 daily when we go commercial soon", Safo Jnr said. We have delayed... going commercial because Africans and Ghanaians in general have the perception that once it is from Ghana, is not good-durability is not assured, safety is not guaranteed. So we have decided to use the products ourselves and make sure they are good to go and standardised before we hit the market.

"I was in Brazil about six months ago and I was in tears. The whole Rio de Janeiro was packed with Marcopolo buses...and these are buses that were assembled and made in Brazil". They patronize it.

"In India they encourage made-in-India vehicles - like Mahindra - and that's my dream to one day see Kantanka cars on the streets of Accra, Kumasi and all over. I will be fulfilled", a visibly euphoric Safo Jnr pointed out in his office fitted with a locally made air-conditioner that is switched on and off by slotting in a card.The card in the air-conditioner, explained Safo Jnr, works like one used in an ATM. It is programmed to start the air-conditioner, regulate the temperature and can tell the time when the unit should be turned off. It is multi-functional, He said.

Difficult questions

Why hugely ambitious and a potential source of pride a country that is only known for its gold, cocoa and lately oil, the Kantanka project still raises major questions. Who for example, will buy SUV in a country where the average income is $1400.00 and where just about everyone drives a used car? Do the carmakers performed crash tests, and will they meet the high standard of cars made in Europe and Asia?

"We will be doing that in the course of our manufacturing process", said Safo Jnr, referring to crash tests. The cars will be "affordable" and middle-income earners will be able to buy them. "We know the market and we can assure you that Africans will be able to buy our cars", he said.

I some countries projects such as this attract financial assistance from the government. But Ghana governments upon governments seem to have ignored the "Star of Africa", as Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo is called by the people of Ghana.

Not even his self-made Limousine dubbed "Obrempong", the speaking change-over machine, or a range of flat-screen television sets made with wood covers that respond to a simple clap to come alive, increase or reduce volumes have fascinated the government enough to support one of their own.

Determined to success

The Safo family is undaunted though. "Most of the promises they have made, they say they are in the pipelines, I'm sure African pipilines are very choked so the water is not flowing. Not even the corporate world ha shown concern...We are still hoping", Said Safo.

"We have had several offers from Asia and Europe, but we turn them down because we just want to stay in Africa and make sure whatever we are doing here we'll be able to archieve our dreams.

The US-trained young pilot is optimistic about the future. For him, it is a matter of trust and belief in the Africans. The whites believed in themselves and got to where they are now.They are no different from us. We all stayed in our mothers' womb for nine months... If you cut a white and a black man you get blood. The only differences are our names and colours.

"So we should believe in ourselves. We must reduce the talking and put in work".

Source: Al Jazeera Africa

Apostle Kwadwo Safo Surprise His Church Executives

The General Overseer of the Kristo Asafo - Mission of Ghana as well as the Co-founder of the Kantanka Automobile Company Ltd, Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo, has surprise his church executives marking his 2016 birthday celebration

The event which took place at his technology center at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region of Ghana on 21st of August 2016, attracting numerous individuals including the Kristo Asafo was climaxed with surprises.

Apostle to the dismay of all people present, donated seven Kantanka branded "Omama" pickup and a K71 saloon vehicle all from the Kantanka Automobile Company Ltd, to his Head Office and Regional executives.

The donation was done, according to Apostle Safo, to serve as appreciation for their continuous contribution, hardwork and support to the church as well as his mission.The executives highly appreciated the offer and thanked him for the honour given to them.

Apostle Kwadwo Safo Honoured With Doctorate Of Law Degree Honoris Causa

On the 19th of March 1999, Apostle Kwadwo Safo was honoured with Doctorate of Law degree Honoris Cousa by the University of Ghana for his creative developments of science and technology in the country.

This memorable occasion took place at the Great hall, University of Ghana , during the 50th anniversary celebration of the University.

Apostle Dr. Kwadwo Safo, the Star of Africa, has over the years being showering gigantic acts of benefactor on the university as part of his support and heart-felt desire to get more students acquire tertiary education.

These acts of benefactions include whopping cash donations to build housing facilities for students among others.

These timely interventions and massive supports that the Star of Africa offers to the University have contributed immensely to the building of more infrastructures and also brace to university in diverse endeavours.

Source: Africa Redemption Magazine

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