The Techiman Market is one of the largest markets in Ghana and among the most significant trading hubs in West Africa. It operates on a six-day cycle, with the biggest sessions drawing traders from across Ghana and beyond — from the Brong-Ahafo and Northern regions, from Kumasi's wholesale networks, and from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Côte d'Ivoire.
The market generates around 70 percent of the metropolitan district's revenues, which gives you a sense of its scale. The bulk of the trade is in food: yams, plantains, cassava, tomatoes, onions, and grains pile up in quantities that dwarf what you find at most urban markets. Cloth, household goods, and livestock fill the outer sections.
Come early on a major market day. By mid-morning the paths between stalls are packed and the noise is considerable. The produce section is almost entirely managed by women traders, which has been the pattern in this part of Ghana for generations. Bargaining is standard; prices are rarely fixed.