More Than a Hashtag: The Enduring Import of "More Vim"

Since 2008, across X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook, the posts of Ghanaian tech and social entrepreneur Ato Ulzen-Appiah (yours truly) has included a simple, two-word phrase that has since transcended personal brand to become a mantra for an entire generation of Ghanaian changemakers, doers, entrepreneurs, innovators, etc: "More Vim." In Ghanaian parlance, the meaning of "Vim" is energy, enthusiasm, drive, power, or spirit. When I use #MoreVim, I am not simply wishing someone well; I am issuing a powerful call to action. This phrase embraces passion, proactivity, and achieving positive change across Ghana and the African continent.

As a co-founder of the GhanaThink Foundation—the organization behind the transformative Barcamp Ghana movement—my social media presence has always been characterized by positivity, critical thinking, and a consistent focus on tangible results. Circa 2008, "More Vim" quickly resonated with other young leaders, entrepreneurs, and volunteers. It is a simple, memorable, and locally authentic way to encourage one another. It became the signature greeting and the empathetic cheer (after a setback).

The true power of the phrase lies in its ability to highlight and celebrate African innovation and (startup) enterprise growth. I have deployed "More Vim" to encourage:

• Gregory Rockson, founder of mPharma, expressing excitement over the company's significant growth and fundraising success.

• Paga and Apposit, specifically offering "More vim to everyone involved, especially Tayo & Eric" following Paga’s acquisition of the US software company Apposit LLC.

• Bilha Ndirangu, the former CEO of Africa's Talking (AT), by saying "more vim for your next chapter!" and recognizing the growth of AT.

• iSpace Foundation, as they embarked on the WAZIUP Internet of Things (IoT) Project for agriculture.

Very appropriate for #TechThursday, innit? In these examples, "More Vim" is the rallying cry for the energy and drive necessary to not just identify problems, but to build scalable, successful technological and business solutions.

While I was living in the US for a decade, many complained about how the news shared about Africa internationally is mostly bad news. I would leave you to research that. We are here for the positives. I have used #MoreVimNews to celebrate a lot of good news about Africa, especially pertaining to startups and investments, awards, recognitions, etc. This underlines my commitment to positive, proactive citizenship.

#MoreVimNews curates good news, that would make you say “More Vim”. It acts as a filter, highlighting inspirational stories of African progress, entrepreneurship, and civic success. I normally add #GoodInformationMustSpread , asking that we spread the good news. We have the power to do so thanks to social media and some of the influence we have built. This constant focus on the positive and the actionable encourages youth to inject "energy and enthusiasm" into their pursuits, and we believe that collective drive can move the needle on national development.

On January 28, 2025, while quoting a post about Ghanaian apps crushing it at the World Summit Awards, I chimed in with "#MoreVimNews indeed! 3 Ghanaian #WSA2024 winners! Congrats!" and shouted out Achieve, Chango, and Khaya. Here, #MoreVimNews meant highlighting breakthroughs in tech and innovation—Ghana making history with three winners for the first time. It's that "we're putting Africa on the map" energy, motivating entrepreneurs to aim higher. Props to the teams; this stuff fuels the next gen of coders and creators.

On June 1, 2023, I celebrated Andrew Takyi-Appiah and Zeepay with "#MoreVim! #MoreVimNews." This was about scaling businesses that succeed big-time. In context, it's vim for builders who turn innovative ideas into big businesses, encouraging others to dream bold in fintech and beyond.

Expansion stories? Oui! April 11, 2023, I “hyped” Farmerline's launch in Cote d'Ivoire: "Uu la la! #Kpakpatoya #Onyva Congrats... #MoreVimNews!" I am particularly excited about cross-border growth—Ghanaian startups going international, or other African startups doing so. The way Africa’s Talking is in 23 countries. That "more vim" is for breaking barriers and showing Africa's interconnected potential. Francophone vibes included! Man, I have great memories of meeting entrepreneurs in Abidjan.

On January 16, 2025, during one of my #233moments reflections, I mused about startups like Farmerline, mPharma, CompleteFarmer, and Hubtel creating well-paying jobs, tagging it "#MoreVimNews." This is real impact—businesses building Africa's economy from the ground up. Chale! In our cultural neighbourhood where unemployment hits hard, it's news that says "Hey, entrepreneurship isn't just talk; it's action creating opportunities" - focusing on jobs, livelihoods, universal basic income, youknowwhatImean?. More vim for the excellent entrepreneurs out there!

By linking personal energy to community action and tying local pidgin to global aspirations, our "More Vim" has become a feature in our culture. We do not just echo it at Barcamps in Ghana, when we meet each other at events, or across social media platforms; it is the enduring spirit of a determined movement— helping build Ghana, and Africa at large, the one we want to see. That made me think about another hashtag, #GhanaianDream. More on that later. More Vim!