Dr. Osei Kwame Despite was born on February 2, 1962 in Agona Wiamoase town, Ashanti region, Ghana. He is a Ghanaian entrepreneur and philanthropist. He has a foundation in music creation and knowledge of the broadcasting sector. Kwame is the CEO of the Despite Firm Ltd, a trade company with subsidiaries in the media industry which include, Peace FM, Neat FM, Hello FM,Okay FM in Kumasi and UTV.
He has a wife and nine children with Kennedy Osei Asante, his first son being the General Manager of Despite Media.
Kwame started his career as a merchant in Dunkwa-Offinso, Ghana’s Central Region, where he sold feeding bottles, padlocks, music cassettes, et.c in search of a better life, he and his friends relocated to Lagos, Nigeria but he had to return in 1983 with other Ghanaians due to political unrest in the country. With all his adventure in Nigeria, he brought back a chainsaw machine and thought it wise to venture into timber business. He wanted to be a contractor, such that he would supply timber to others but on his first contract, his machine was smashed when as a tree fell on it. He later returned to his cassette selling before trying his hands on other businesses.
” Though I had dreams, I never knew I will get this far but God has made all things possible.” He said in an interview.
In his contribution to local music industry and also as a means of promoting Ghanaian culture, Kwame founded the PeaceFM at Achimota, Mile 7 Junction in 1999. The station made use of the Akan language, making their listeners abandon stations that broadcasted major in English language. The radio station blossomed and birthed the establishment of Hello FM in Kumasi and Okay FM in Accra, even peacefmonline.co
Notably, The Despite Group of Companies (DGC) has grown to include the following companies:
- U2 Company Limited (Iodated Salt Production)
- Okay FM
- Peace FM
- Neat FM
- Hello FM
- Despite Stores
- Best Point Savings and Loans (Finance)
- Farming and Building Construction businesses
- Neat Foods Company Limited (which produces and markets NEAT Fufu, NEAT Banku, NEAT Abenkwan, NEAT Hausa Koko, NEAT Dairy Products)
- United Television Company Limited
- Atona Foods LTD (they produce “This Way” chocolate drink which comes in different flavors, and the “This Way” Motherlac children’s cereal
Aside the corporate social relationship Kwame’s companies carry out, Kwame a financier of a number of students and business startups. He is also a regular donor to many organizations, to this effect, he was nominated for 2019 Philanthropy of the Year by Exclusive Men of the Year Awards. Kwame was has also with all pleasure offered free bus rides to passengers in Accra and to commuters from other parts of Ghana. He built an ultramodern Police Station at Wiamoase and also commissioned the construction of two new ultra-modern facilities for the Tesano Police Divisional Headquarters in Accra.
At a time, he blessed several bereaved men and women with items worth over millions of cedis in his hometown, Agona Wiamoase, Ashanti Region.
Kwame won African Entrepreneur of the Year at the African Achievers Awards in United Kingdom in 2021. He was also awarded GH CAPTAIN’s Award in 2019 due to his contributions to the socio- economic development of the country.
Looking back at his achievement, Kwame said, “I was only a shoemaker. Sometimes, I think all these things happening to me is a dream.”
