Ghanaian-British entrepreneur Basil Anthony expands Modern Floors & Walls into Kenya

Ghanaian-British entrepreneur Basil David Anthony has expanded Modern Floors & Walls into Kenya, marking the building-finishing company’s entry into East Africa as it pursues its ambition of becoming a multinational African brand.

The company will use Kenya as its gateway to the wider East African market, initially supplying flooring, wall panels, carpet tiles and other interior-finishing products. It will also offer installation and after-sales services, targeting contractors, architects, interior designers, installers and property developers.

The expansion follows the establishment of the company’s Dubai operation in 2022, which supports procurement, sourcing and relationships with international manufacturers.

From Ghana to international markets

Modern Floors & Walls began operations in Ghana in 2018, specialising in flooring, wall products and interior finishing. Ghana remains its principal market, while its Dubai base provides an international platform for sourcing products and coordinating supplier relationships.

In December 2022, the company registered Basil Modern Floors and Walls LLC in the United Arab Emirates. The operation serves as a holding, sourcing and regional supply centre for its African businesses.

Anthony said the company’s international expansion had been part of its long-term vision from the beginning, with Dubai providing a foundation for growth beyond Ghana.

“We started by building the business in Ghana, but the vision was never to remain in one market,” he said. “Establishing our company in Dubai gave us an international platform from which we could strengthen procurement, sourcing and our relationships with manufacturers. Kenya is now the next important step in that journey.”

Kenya becomes East African gateway

The Kenyan operation will initially focus on stone plastic composite flooring, wall panels, carpet tiles and other interior-finishing products, alongside installation and after-sales support.

Modern Floors & Walls plans to build relationships with local contractors, installers, architects, interior designers and property developers as it establishes its presence in the market.

Anthony said the company would prioritise understanding Kenya’s market and developing local partnerships before considering entry into other East African countries.

“For me, expansion is not simply about putting the Modern Floors & Walls name in another country,” he said. “We want to build proper operations, create local opportunities and develop a business that can remain in the market for the long term.”

The approach places local market knowledge and partnerships at the centre of the company’s expansion strategy, rather than treating regional growth as a straightforward extension of its Ghanaian business.

A market-by-market expansion strategy

Anthony said businesses seeking to expand across Africa must recognise differences in consumer preferences, regulations and operating conditions between countries.

“ Africa is a massive market, but you cannot build an African company by looking at Africa as one market,” Anthony said. “Every country is different. Our approach is to enter, learn, localise and build.”

Kenya is expected to provide the company with experience that can inform its subsequent regional expansion. By establishing operations and partnerships in the country, Modern Floors & Walls aims to develop a model for entering additional East African markets.

The move marks another stage in Anthony’s effort to build the Ghana-founded business into a multinational African brand, with Ghana anchoring its operations, Dubai supporting international sourcing and Kenya opening the door to East Africa.