The History of QNET in Ghana and West Africa: ASJ Intelligence Brief

From its 2018 flagship expo in Accra to a continent-wide anti-scam campaign involving multiple law enforcement agencies, QNET’s trajectory in West Africa over the past decade reveals a company grappling with a persistent and damaging paradox: while it presents itself as a legitimate direct selling business, its brand has become a primary vehicle for human traffickers and fraudsters across the region .

Part 1: The Origin Story – A Global Direct Selling Giant

Founded in 1998, QNET is a Hong Kong-based direct selling company operating in over 100 countries worldwide . The company sells lifestyle and wellness products across categories including nutrition, personal care, jewellery, holiday packages, watches, home care, and e-learning courses . It is a member of direct selling associations in Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines . It has also established global sports sponsorships, including partnerships with Manchester City Football Club and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) .

QNET positioned itself early as a company looking to empower individuals through entrepreneurship. Its founders advocated for a mission extending beyond financial success, encapsulated in the RYTHM Foundation (Raise Yourself To Help Mankind), the social impact initiative of the QI Group .

Part 2: The West African Rollout (2013–2018)

First African Office in Rwanda (2013)

In December 2013, QNET opened its first African office in Rwanda – a strategic foothold for a continent described by experts as “the new frontier for the Direct Selling industry” .

Regional Partnerships (2015)

In February 2015, QNET expanded its West African presence by partnering with DMC Africa in Mali. This was followed by similar partnerships in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. The company’s representative at the time, Senior Legal Counsel Tim Harney, emphasised the “early mover advantage” of expanding in the region .

By this period, QNET had approximately 3,000 registered Independent Representatives in Mali alone. Its e-learning products, including Mini-MBA programs, were reported as bestsellers .

The Ghanaian Flagship: The 2018 Absolute Living Expo

The formal launch of QNET’s major public presence in Ghana came in February 2018 with the first-ever “Absolute Living Expo” at the Accra International Conference Centre . This was a carefully orchestrated event designed to confer legitimacy on the company. Stakeholders in attendance included:

• The Ministry of Trade & Industry

• The Ministry of Business Development

• The Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)

The official government endorsement was explicit. The Chief Director of the Ministry of Business Development, Mr. Joe Tackie, stated: “We are glad to have QNET in Ghana for the long haul. We are also very glad that QNET’s business module supports entrepreneurship… we believe that Ghanaians will benefit immeasurably from the health, nutritional and entrepreneurial exploits QNET is introducing to Ghana” .

The Chairperson of the Technology Sector of the AGI, Mr. Samuel Anim-Yeboah, added: “The use of technology as an enabler in the business module of QNET is a good pointer that the opportunities provided by the company could be accessed by everyone, anywhere in the world” .

The company also made a notable legal move early on: QNET called for legislation to regulate direct selling in Ghana – an unusual step for a company often accused of operating in regulatory grey areas .

2019: The AG Clarification and Direct Selling Regulations

It is worth noting that in 2019, the Government of Ghana enacted the Direct Selling Regulations, demonstrating QNET’s engagement with local policymakers to address the legal framework .

Part 3: The Legal Firestorm – The 2022 “Ban” and Clarification

The Ban that Wasn’t

The most controversial moment in QNET’s Ghana history came in 2022. A High Court ruling ordered the dissolution of an entity called “Q-NET INVESTMENT LIMITED” for operating akin to a Ponzi scheme . The entity had no connection to QNET.

However, the similarity in names triggered widespread media reports suggesting QNET itself had been banned. The confusion was so severe that QNET was compelled to petition the Attorney-General for a formal clarification. In July 2023, the Attorney-General’s office confirmed in writing: “We have perused the said judgment as well as your petition and are of the opinion that the Honourable Court did not in any way link the company QNET and Q-Net Investment Limited” .

Even the Daily Graphic, which had initially reported the ban, published a correction clarifying that it was the impersonator that was dissolved, not QNET .

The Official Position

Biram Fall, QNET’s Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, has consistently maintained: “To date, no legally empowered court or regulatory body has banned QNET. We remain fully compliant with Ghanaian laws and committed to working closely with all relevant authorities” .

The company reiterates that it is not a Ponzi or investment scheme and not a visa or scholarship agency .

Part 4: The Dark Side – The Trafficking Crisis (2020–Present)

Despite its legal legitimacy, a tragic pattern emerged across West Africa: criminal syndicates began systematically misusing the QNET brand to run sophisticated human trafficking and job scam operations.

The Modus Operandi

A BBC investigation documented the trafficking model in detail . Victims—young people desperate for work—are lured by promises of lucrative jobs in the US, Canada, Dubai, or Europe.

The scam process:

1. Victims are asked to pay large sums of money for “administration costs”

2. Once they pay (often travelling across borders), they are told they can only travel abroad once they recruit others into the scheme

3. Even when they bring in family and friends, the jobs never materialise

4. Victims are often confined in shared housing and subjected to psychological coercion

The BBC noted: “Thousands of people across West Africa are being lured by a human trafficking scam, commonly known as QNET” .

The Scope of Rescues (2025–2026)

Ghanaian authorities have conducted multiple large-scale rescue operations:

The Ivory Coast Incident (November 2025)

The crisis reached a diplomatic level when 20 Ghanaians faced legal trial in Ivory Coast for alleged involvement in fraudulent acts linked to the QNET name. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, publicly addressed the situation. QNET strongly dissociated itself, stating that its name and products were being “misused and misrepresented by scammers and fraudulent individuals” .

A Mother’s Ordeal

A harrowing report detailed a mother’s desperate search for her children who had been recruited into a trafficking scam: “My children were recruited in a trafficking scam. I joined a police hunt to find them” . This personal testimony underscores the real human cost of the brand misuse.

Law Enforcement Limitations

Despite the scale of rescues, convictions remain rare. The BBC noted that in Sierra Leone (where similar operations exist), only four trafficking convictions occurred between 2022 and 2025 – a stark indicator of the enforcement challenge .

Part 5: The Corporate Counter-Offensive – “QNET Against Scams”

Facing a PR and operational crisis, QNET launched one of the most aggressive anti-scam campaigns by any direct selling company in Africa.

The EOCO Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

In 2025, QNET signed a formal Memorandum of Understanding with Ghana’s Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) . The MoU formalised:

• Intelligence sharing

• Compliance coordination

• Joint enforcement actions across Ghana and West Africa

The “QNET Against Scams” Campaign

This 360-degree campaign, launched in 2024 and expanded throughout 2025, features billboards, radio and TV spots, street activations, and social media education. It won a Gold Stevie Award . QNET plans to extend the campaign to Liberia, Togo, and Benin in 2026 .

Internal Compliance Actions

QNET has publicly reported significant internal disciplinary actions:

• 2024: 298 disciplinary actions against distributors violating its Code of Conduct

• 2025: 35 official complaints lodged, one conviction 

2026 Conviction

In January 2026, the Kasoa Ofaakor Circuit Court sentenced three individuals to 24 months’ imprisonment for misusing the QNET name to defraud the public. Biram Fall, Deputy Chairman for QNET Sub-Saharan Africa, welcomed the conviction: “This conviction sends a strong warning to individuals who misuse and misrepresent the name and products of QNET in Ghana… The message is getting clearer and louder — QNET’s name will not be used as a decoy to propagate unlawful and fraudulent activities” .

Official Verification Channel

QNET has established a direct compliance hotline for the public to verify legitimate opportunities:

• WhatsApp: +233 2566 30005

• Email: [email protected] 

Part 6: The Regional Expansion and Future Outlook (2025–2026)

Current Presence

QNET maintains a Training Centre in East Legon, Accra, where product workshops are held.

2026 Plans

QNET announced plans to replicate its anti-scam initiatives in Liberia, Togo, and Benin in 2026 . The company also intends to host its next major regional convention, V-Africa, in Ghana.

QNET’s Stated Position

QNET continues to clarify what it is not: it does not offer investment schemes, overseas jobs, or visas; it does not condone illegal migration . It states that income is earned only through the sale of its wellness and lifestyle products.

The company’s Deputy Regional General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa, Cherif Abdoulaye, told a media webinar in February 2026 that the company has “reiterated its intensified commitment to safeguarding consumers and upholding ethical business practices across West Africa, building on significant anti-fraud successes achieved in 2025” .

ASJ Conclusion

The history of QNET in Ghana and West Africa is a story of two parallel realities.

The legitimate QNET is a registered company that has operated in Ghana since at least 2018, hosted official expos with government backing, called for industry regulation, and established a physical training centre in Accra. It has invested significant resources in an award-winning anti-scam campaign and formal partnerships with EOCO to combat brand misuse .

However, the criminal networks exploiting the QNET brand have caused widespread harm. Hundreds of victims across West Africa have been rescued from trafficking operations that misuse the company’s name. The company acknowledges that its brand has become a “decoy” for criminals .

The evidence does not show that QNET itself operates these trafficking schemes. It does show that the QNET name has become a valuable brand asset for criminals, and that QNET is now actively—some would say belatedly—working with law enforcement to dismantle the networks misusing it.

For the Ghanaian public, the lesson is clear: QNET is a legal direct selling company, but any job offer claiming to be through “QNET” with promises of travel abroad is almost certainly a scam. The official verification channel is +233 2566 30005. The cost of verification is zero. The cost of ignoring it has been, for hundreds of victims across West Africa, devastating.

Quick Reference: QNET Ghana Timeline

Last Updated on June 11, 2026 by Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of Accra Street Journal, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.

accrastreetjournal.com/