The Kantanka family has announced July 30 as the date for the burial of  renowned inventor, industrialist and founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission, Kwadwo Safo.

In a formal statement issued by the family head, Head of the Kantanka Family, Sarah Adwoa Safo, together with the Kristo Asafo Mission and the Funeral Planning Committee, the funeral will be held in a three-day programme to honour the inventor.

The burial service is scheduled to be held at Gomoa Mpota, a town located in the Central Region of Ghana, along the Winneba–Kasoa highway.

Following the 3-day programme a national farewell ceremony will be held at Independence Square on Friday, 31 July, which will see the presence of dignitaries, traditional leaders, church members, industrialists, and admirers from across Ghana and beyond.

The final rites will conclude with a thanksgiving service on Saturday, 1 August 2026, at Jackson Park in celebration of his life and legacy.

Death of Apostle SafoApostle Dr Kwadwo Safo, popularly known as “Kantanka,” passed away on September 11, 2025, at the age of 77. The renowned Ghanaian industrialist, technologist, philanthropist and founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission was reported to have died peacefully, according to a statement issued by his family and signed by his daughter, former Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo. The family described him as a visionary innovator and one of Ghana’s foremost technological icons whose contributions to agriculture, industry and philanthropy left a lasting impact on the country.

Life of Apostle Safo

Born on August 26, 1948, in Bom (near Kensere) in the Ashanti Region, Apostle Prof. Dr. Ing. Kwadwo Safo Kantanka was a revered man of God. His parents were Opanin Yaw Safo and Obaapanin Yaa Amoanimaa. He died at the age of 77.

His son, Kwadwo Safo Kantanka Jr., is the CEO of Kantanka Group, a pilot, and an entrepreneur. His daughter, Sarah Adwoa Safo, is a politician, lawyer, and former MP and Gender Minister. His other children include Joche Safo (lawyer), Monarch Safo, among others.

Apostle Kantanka gained recognition as a practical, self-taught innovator in electronics and mechanics. He studied engineering at the Ghana Technical Works Institute, now the Kumasi Technical University. At VALCO and West African Metals, he trained as a welder for three years. He also received honorary academic titles, including an Honorary Professorship (Emeritus) from Alfred Nobel University, Ukraine, in 2019, and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Ghana in 1999.

He went on to establish Ghana’s largest indigenous technology conglomerate, spanning automotive manufacturing, electronics, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals. In 1994, he founded a Ghanaian-based automotive company that designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells luxury cars. The company produces vehicles tailored to African conditions, such as the Onantefo and pickups like the Omama. Some of his vehicles feature voice-activated systems and remote ignition.

Beyond automobiles, he built impressive futuristic machines, many of which were exhibited at the Apostle Safo Technology Research Centre in Gomoa Mpota. He also established a religious movement, Kristo Asafo, an independent church, which began as a prayer group in 1969 and was transformed into a Church on 3rd February 1971.

The church is a member of the Sabbath Association of Ghana. Within the church, both members and non-members have acquired diverse skills across different professions and trades, including carpentry, welding, and mechanics.