First ever 'Made in Ghana' cars are built to survive anything

From Amir Daftari, CNN

Building faith to drive Ghana's car industry02:31

Story highlights

Kantanka Group are launching the first ever 'made in Ghana' carsTo test their build quality, they're being used by the local police

(CNN)The first cars to carry a "made in Ghana" seal will be under a harsh spotlight as they prepare to enter the marketplace and take on the major international brands.

The man that made it happen is under no illusions about the difficulty of the task.

"The biggest challenge is people believing (and) having faith in the car," says Kwadwo Safo Jr, CEO of Kantanka Group -- the nation's first manufacturers. "People think the doors will come off or the tires will blow off or something."

Kwadwo Safo Jr, CEO of Kantanka Group

To prove the Kantanka models are tough enough for local conditions, Safo gave them a baptism of fire serving the Ghanaian police.

"They rough handle cars a lot," he says. "They took the car, and made it appeal to the masses."