I'm Joanna Diana Steele, co-founder and Managing Director of Dimax Digital, based in both Accra, Ghana and London, UK. At Dimax Digital we specialise in eCommerce strategy, digital marketing, content and campaign management, and training, especially focused on businesses targeting African markets or striving to scale in Africa.
We help brands and events increase visibility, engagement, and sales by using insight-driven planning, creative campaigns, and technology.
Before founding Dimax, I worked in UK digital marketing, helping major brands and campaigns. Over time I saw how many African-focused ventures lacked partners who understood both global digital standards and local context.
I formed Dimax to bridge that gap: an agency with expertise in eCommerce, marketing, and tools, but grounded in African markets, culture, consumer behaviour and infrastructure realities.
The digital marketing industry is dominated by agencies focused on Western markets or local providers without global best practices, but I noticed something crucial missing: partners who understand both international digital standards and African market realities. Many businesses targeting Africa were experiencing lack of partners combining global expertise with local context understanding, digital strategies that ignore African infrastructure realities (connectivity, payments, logistics), generic approaches that don't account for local culture and consumer behaviour, perception of digital marketing as either expensive Western services or low-quality local alternatives, and missing capability building and training for internal teams. I wanted to create an agency that bridges these gaps, delivering world-class digital marketing grounded in the realities of African markets.
Dimax was founded in 2018. From the start we positioned ourselves as a boutique agency combining international experience with local knowledge.
Claudy Pinnock Makilanda and I co-founded the agency. I brought experience working with UK clients (for example, Sainsbury's, Argos, Mothercare, London 2012 projects) and spent years learning eCommerce, campaign strategy, technology integrations, consumer insights.
When we started, we took on a variety of contracts to prove ourselves: eCommerce strategy and implementation, digital marketing campaigns, content creation and management, event marketing and promotion, and digital training and capability building. Over time we refined into strengths around eCommerce, strategy, training, and event marketing.
One challenge was perception, as some African clients expected very low cost providers rather than strategic partners. To address this, we emphasized:
Another was infrastructure issues, as in Ghana, internet connectivity, payment systems, and logistics are more fragile than in developed markets. We adapted our campaign strategies accordingly by:
We also needed to recruit or partner with people who understand both marketing tech and African contexts. So we built a team that mixes global digital skills with local insight.
As our reputation grew, more businesses (startups, SMEs, events, consumer brands) came to us seeking strategy, execution, and digital training. We also built work across sectors: FMCG, tech, events, retail, and non-profits.
Always ground your digital work in local realities, including infrastructure, culture, and market behavior. Build proof early, as case studies, metrics, and testimonials help clients trust you beyond promises. Don't overpromise by being clear about what is possible and under what conditions. Diversify your revenue streams with services plus training plus tools to absorb fluctuations. Recruit team members who understand both marketing tech and the specific market context you serve. Invest in your own brand presence, as clients will see your marketing as part of your credibility.
If I were to start again, I would document all internal processes earlier for onboarding, delivery and feedback so I can scale faster, invest more in content and thought leadership sooner through articles, speaking and workshops especially in African business networks, test smaller pilot projects in new segments before full rollout, and build strategic partnerships earlier with regional hubs and networks across Africa.
Looking ahead, I plan to deepen our work in eCommerce across Africa, helping more brands go from local to pan-African scale. I want to expand training programmes, digital academies, and partner with regional hubs. I also aim to build more SaaS or tool integrations that address African marketing challenges (payments, logistics, local ad tech).
My goal is that when an African or African-focused brand thinks "how can I grow online with strategy and execution," Dimax Digital comes to mind first.
Many Western strategies don't succeed because they ignore the unique realities of African markets. This includes challenges with internet connectivity, payment systems, and logistics. They also frequently miss the nuances of local culture and consumer behaviour, applying a generic approach where a localised one is needed.
Dimax Digital combines global digital marketing expertise with a deep, practical understanding of African markets. Their approach is results-oriented, focusing on sales and brand growth. They also prioritise training and empowering their clients' internal teams, acting as strategic partners rather than just service providers.
Joanna Diana Steele faced two main hurdles. The first was perception, as some clients expected very low costs instead of a strategic partnership focused on value. The second was navigating infrastructure issues like fragile internet connectivity and payment systems, which required adapting campaign strategies to fit local conditions.
The most important lesson is to ground all your digital marketing work in local realities. This means considering everything from infrastructure and payment methods to cultural norms and consumer habits. Building trust through case studies and proven results is also essential for success.
