Living Courageously: A Conversation with Akua Koranteng on Faith, Leadership, and Taking Bold Steps

Akua Koranteng is the Executive Head of Gauteng at Equites Property Fund, where she excels in enhancing team unity and leadership, streamlining operational processes, and leading innovative strategies in business development and asset management. With a solid foundation of 20 years in the industry, her expertise is further enriched by a Master’s degree in Real Estate Finance.

Outside her professional role, Akua passionately commits to social change as the founder of100ABC, an educational initiative aimed at transforming the lives of young women from underprivileged backgrounds.https://www.100abc.co.za/

Rooted in a legacy of philanthropy, Akua draws inspiration from her parents and grandparents, who were also dedicated to charitable work. Embracing this familial ethos, she believes that turning away from such a noble calling would be an injustice to society. Established in 2010, 100ABC primarily focuses on providing educational funding to disadvantaged children in South Africa. Through this endeavor, Akua is instrumental in removing educational barriers for children in impoverished communities across the nation.

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See you in the next episode! Be blessed!

Full Transcript

Jeff: Well, welcome everybody to another episode of Courageous here at Crossroads Apologetics. I’m excited about the conversation that we’re about to have with a good friend of mine, Akua.
Akua and I are classmates at an endeavor up in Oxford, up in the UK. We’ve been going about our studies in organizational leadership for the bulk of 2023. And I don’t know about Akua — for me, it seems to be way over my head. But I’m not, and I’m studying as best I can.

But anyway, Akua joins us from Johannesburg, South Africa. And we’re grateful to have you on today, Akua. Thank you so much for joining us.

Akua: Thank you for having me, Jeff.

Jeff: Yeah. So can you tell us a little bit about you, please? Where you’re at, what you’re doing, a little bit about your family, your business, whatever you’d like to share to put in context for our listeners?

Akua: Sure. I’m originally from Ghana. So I was born in Ghana, my parents are both from Ghana. We moved to South Africa in 1987, I guess, towards the tail end of apartheid. Mainly because South Africa had just formed the former homelands where people of color were relocated to. And on the hunt for skilled workers — doctors, teachers and the like — they started to recruit from other African countries, then from Eastern Europe, then Asia, to bring in skilled workers to move to South Africa. And basically, you know, work here, get free housing, not pay tax, free education for their kids. So, you know, my parents took advantage of that.

They moved to South Africa in 1987. Their plan was to stay for five years, but they ended up staying there for 32 years. So they relocated back to Ghana five years ago. That is where they’re settling and retiring. Myself and my three siblings are still here in South Africa, you know, playing our part and hopefully making the country a better place.

I currently work for a company called Equites Property Fund in Johannesburg. My career has always been in real estate. I’ve jumped from the property finance side with investment banks like Merrill Lynch to consulting on my own in the property space across the African continent. I also sit on a couple of property boards listed on the JSE. So now I’m heading up the Johannesburg operations for Equites Property Fund. Our head office is in Cape Town, but I oversee our logistics and real estate development here in Joburg. We build warehouses in South Africa and the UK. Our key clients are like DSV, DHL, Amazon, Tesco, Evri, and the like.

Jeff: Wow. Is the market good for that kind of stuff?

Akua: You know, the market is good, especially more so in Europe than Africa. There’s been a trend toward people moving online for shopping and retail. So during COVID, when everyone was stuck at home and you couldn’t really go anywhere, it was very buoyant. We did really, really well in that space, and I think things are only gradually getting better.

Of course, we are affected by economic cycles — things like interest rates (which we’ve seen rise in both the UK and South Africa recently), inflation, Brexit in the UK, and power issues in South Africa. So it’s a good sector, but we do have to navigate various challenges.

Jeff: Wow. And so you’re headquartered in Johannesburg?

Akua: No, our headquarters is in Cape Town. Johannesburg is a satellite office, and I head up operations here. But yes — Johannesburg is home for me.

Jeff: That’s great. It’s a beautiful country. Do you travel quite a bit outside of South Africa or stay mostly in the country?

Akua: For work, I stay mostly within South Africa, traveling between Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban. Our executives handle the UK travel, and we do have a team based there to manage the UK portfolio.

On a personal level, though, I love to travel. That’s actually why I found myself studying in Oxford this year. I’ve traveled quite a bit across Africa, lived in Holland for two years when I did my master’s, and have done a lot of Europe as well. I haven’t been to Asia yet, but I’d love to go to Japan — that’s definitely on my bucket list. I haven’t done much of the U.S., though I do have family there, so I need to make my way soon. It’s just such a long flight!

Jeff: Yeah, it is a long flight. I think there’s one from Atlanta to Johannesburg that’s 17 hours. We’ve taken that a few times. And then it’s 18 hours on the way back! We’re headquartered in Iowa — you’ll have to come visit us, Akua. We’d love to show you the heartland. Very different from New York, for sure.

Akua: I’ll definitely do that. I think we have a lot of classmates from the States, so I’ll be making my way around through the program!

Jeff: Well, to get on with the point of the podcast and the subject at hand — this idea of courage. Before I ask you the question, What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done, maybe you could share with our listeners a little bit about how you view fear and courage. Is courage an inherent trait, or is it something that’s learned?

Akua: I think courage is something that is learned. Throughout my life and my journey, there have been quite a few fear points. Just some examples: being young and being sent off to boarding school… leaving corporate to launch my own consulting company… setting up a nonprofit to help underserved people in South Africa… being a foreigner living in South Africa and facing perceptions around that… being appointed to boards where I’ve been the youngest, or the only woman, or the only person of color.

All of those speak to fear. So at those points, courage had to come in. I believe courage is something learned — and it’s something you learn as you move through life. If you’re not confronted with events that push you out of your comfort zone, you never really have to be courageous. But once you are, that’s where it develops.

Jeff: That’s powerful. Do you have someone in your life — maybe a family member, or a public figure — who inspires you with their courage?

Akua: My parents inspire me every day. Like I said, when we moved to South Africa in 1987, they left behind everything they knew in Ghana — their support system, their home — to come to South Africa during apartheid with three kids, not knowing what to expect.

They both came from disadvantaged backgrounds but worked their way up to provide us with an education and opportunities. That required so much courage and sacrifice. They are my daily inspiration.

And beyond that, they’re very religious. I grew up in a faith-based home. They pray for us every single day. Even though we’re not in the same location, I feel their covering. That gives me courage.Jeff: Wow, that’s wonderful. Akua, let’s jump right in — tell us, what’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

Akua: I wouldn’t call it the most courageous, but it’s one of them. It’s courageous because I think, as human beings, we talk a lot about being humanitarian and compassionate — but it often stays as just that: talk. Not many people actually act on it. It’s easy to see the plight of the poor or underprivileged, but doing something about it is another matter.

When I was 29 — 15 years ago — I decided to be brave and actually do something. I launched an NGO called 100 ABC. The goal was to raise funding from corporates and through my peers, and use those funds to support education for underprivileged kids — whether that’s early learning, scholarships for high school, or basic support.

But that meant, at 29, I was walking into boardrooms asking my friends, peers, and colleagues to trust me with their money — to trust that I’d do what I said I would. And it worked. It’s been a 15-year journey, and it’s been incredibly rewarding. If I had to go back, I’d absolutely do it all again.

We’ve managed to support around 500 kids through this program. Seeing where they are now in life… it’s amazing. I remember visits to their schools, or times they came to visit us — some of them jumping on a trampoline for the first time. Watching them enjoy those moments and knowing they had opportunities because of the program — that’s been one of the most courageous and meaningful things I’ve done.

Jeff: That’s incredible. So this nonprofit — 100 ABC — you started that on your own?

Akua: Yes. The name 100 ABC comes from two things — “100” because we launched with 100 paying members. And “ABC” to symbolize education.

To be a member, people commit to a small monthly membership fee. That’s how we got our first funding. But a huge help was KPMG South Africa — they came on board as our corporate sponsor for the first five years, which helped us scale.

As we grew, other companies joined too — like Investec, a few law firms like Bowman Gilfillan, and asset management firms like Cadiz Capital. Some donated goods, stationery, or food packages. Others provided mentorship. So many people got involved in different ways.

Jeff: That’s amazing. How many students did you say have gone through the program so far?

Akua: Over 500 students, Jeff.

Jeff: Wow. And you’re paying for their education?

Akua: Yes, we pay for their education, provide a monthly stipend so they can afford transportation, books, uniforms — anything they need to stay in school. If they have to transfer, we cover those costs too. We also pair each student with a mentor who walks with them throughout their journey. It’s not just about the money — it’s about long-term support.

Jeff: That’s fantastic. So what’s next for 100 ABC — what’s your five-year or ten-year vision?

Akua: I’m a big advocate for the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In particular, equal education for all, gender equality, and the alleviation of poverty.

So our five-year plan is to keep doing what we’re doing — just at a bigger scale. The more support we get, the more students we can reach. Eventually, we’d love to expand beyond South Africa and reach more African countries. But we want to do that responsibly — we believe in deep, not just wide, impact.

Jeff: That’s such a bold and beautiful vision, Akua. What gave you the courage to start something like this?

Akua: The spark really came when I was doing my master’s in Amsterdam. I joined an expat group that hosted events and sent the money raised to initiatives in Africa.

And I thought — I’m African, I live in Africa, why do I need to be 10,000 kilometers away to realize that I can help too?

That perspective shift really pushed me to start something back home.

Jeff: Did you have any partnerships or support when you got started?

Akua: Like I said, we started with 100 members paying monthly contributions. KPMG came on board early as a corporate sponsor. From there, other companies started to join — both financially and through in-kind support like school supplies, food parcels, and mentorship. It’s grown organically from that community foundation.

Jeff: What was the hardest part of getting it started? Maybe the most difficult challenge?

Akua: Honestly, selling the idea wasn’t that difficult. People who knew me knew I was a doer — if I said I’d do something, I did it. Everything was in place — registration, bank accounts, tax compliance, all the legal requirements.

The hardest part was actually choosing who to fund.

In the first few years, there were so many applicants — individuals, schools, other nonprofits — all doing incredible work but struggling financially. Making those decisions, choosing who we could walk alongside, and who we had to say no to… that was really hard.

Jeff: Talk to our listeners a little bit about the courage that’s inside each and every one of us. How can people tap into that? What kind of encouragement would you offer?

Akua: I find courage through the people who influence me — like I mentioned earlier, my parents. For others, that might be a partner, a friend, a mentor, or a community.

I think it’s important to draw from those resources. Courage isn’t always something we can manufacture on our own. It’s something we build in relationship, in connection, in faith.

Some people find it through prayer, some through meditation or retreats, some in community. It’s different for everyone, but the key is this: you don’t have to do it alone.

Jeff: You’ve put that beautifully, Akua. And thank you so much for joining us today. Your faith, your boldness, your dream — they’re all making a big impact through 100 ABC. And I know your story will impact everyone listening, too.

Akua: Thank you, Jeff. I really appreciate the opportunity. My wish is for people to keep spreading the love. Do your part, even if it feels small — every little bit counts. Nothing is ever too little.

Jeff: Thank you for joining us today on Courageous. If you’d like to hear more about the work and ministry being done at Crossroads Apologetics, please visit our home on the web at crossroadsapologetics.org.

Would you or someone you know like to be featured on Courageous?
Send us an email at info@crossroadsapologetics.org, and tell us: What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?