An important part of travel is being able to buy items from the visited country or city to take back with you as a form of memento for your time there. Aside from pictures, souvenirs are the one way to remind you of a trip or vacation. Souvenirs are usually small and inexpensive, mostly handcrafted by artisans and craftsmen. It is also one of the ways the locals earn a living from tourism.
The best places to buy souvenirs are in the local market, directly from the makers of these items. Of course, every city will have a high rise shop or store where the items are sold far more expensive, avoid those. It might seem pretty easy to walk into the store in the lobby of your 5 Star Hotel in Ghana to pick up one or two fancy looking souvenirs, but not only are they over-priced, you miss out on engaging with the locals who make these items and possibly learning or hearing about how they live and make these items.
If you are a foreigner visiting Ghana, here are some of the things to buy in Ghana when you visit.
Kente
Kente is a silk and cotton fabric traditionally owned by the Akan people of Ghana and probably the most popular fabric from Ghana. Despite being an Akan cloth, Kente is also worn among the other tribal groups of Ghana. The fabric is woven in a strip loom with varying colors patterned to form the very beautiful Kente cloth. Every color of the Kente fabric is symbolic.
Symbolism of Kente Colours:
black: maturation, intensified spiritual energy
blue: peacefulness, harmony and love
green: vegetation, planting, harvesting, growth, spiritual renewal
gold: royalty, wealth, high status, glory, spiritual purity
maroon: the color of mother earth; associated with healing
pink: assoc. with the female essence of life; a mild, gentle aspect of red
purple: assoc. with feminine aspects of life; usually worn by women
red: political and spiritual moods; bloodshed; sacrificial rites and death.
yellow: preciousness, royalty, wealth, fertility, beauty
Beads
Ghana is one of the biggest bead manufacturers in the world. In Ghana you will find different types of beads included glass beads, sea shell beads, and powdered glass beads known as Krobo beads. The beads are used to make friendship bracelets, necklaces, anklets, waist beads. While there is a lot of symbolism associated with beads traditionally in Ghana, you may simply purchase them for aesthetic value and it can be a good resource for decoration.
Paintings
Ghanaian art thrives within and outside the country and you will no doubt find roadside artistes and painters displaying their work of art which usually depict popular Ghanaian celebrities or figures, or depicting nature and landscape, as well as common life in Ghana.
Bolgatanga Baskets
Made in the northern region of Ghana with Elephant grass, Bolgatanga Baskets come in very handy as they can be used for grocery shopping, to keep laundry or baby things. They are masterly woven traditionally by male weavers from the FraFra tribe in Bolgatanga where the name given the baskets come from. Beautifully painted, the bags are sturdy and a great addition to your cart of souvenirs from Ghana.
Asanka Bowls
Also called the Asanka Pot, it is used as a sort of manual blender in the preparation of ingredients for cooking Ghanaian meals. It could be clay or wooden.
Black Soap
The African Black Soap is a common item you will find in any local market in Ghana. Made with Shea butter, ashes of burnt plantain leaves, aloe vera, shavings of palm kernel nuts and several other organic materials. Black Soap is famed for using organic and natural ingredients to treat skin blemishes and give the user an even skin tone and glowing skin. If you are Caucasian please get an all clear from your dermatologist before using Black Soap.
Music
You should also take some of the sounds of Ghana with you. You can also buy CDs of recorded music from music shops. From traditional sounds of highlife to modern sounds of hiphop, Ghanaian music is a good souvenir to take away with you, especially if you are trying to learn the dance steps that mesmerized you on your visit.
Carvings and Mask
Alongside paintings you will also find carvings and masks done by Ghanaian wood workers intriguing. The masks are created with wood and leather by master craftsmen and they infuse the tradition and culture of the various tribal groups in the country.
Source
https://food.jumia.com.gh/blog/souvenirs-buy-visit-ghana-1087
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