Inventor and mechanical engineer Desmond Davis was the featured guest on The PM Jam on Melody FM with host Haruna Babangida yesterday, where he shared the inspiring story behind his groundbreaking invention: the Kingsway refrigerating barrel. Based in New Takoradi, Davis has become a symbol of ingenuity and resilience, using his skills to create practical solutions for challenges faced by coastal and rural communities across West Africa.
Born in Côte d’Ivoire to Ghanaian parents, Davis’s early life was marked by a strong desire to explore the world. His quest to travel led him across several West African countries, but it was back home in Ghana that he discovered a deeper purpose, one rooted in innovation and social impact. With a background in Mechanical Engineering from Takoradi Technical Institute (TTI), Davis combines technical know-how with lived experience to address long-standing infrastructural problems.
Davis attributes his creative instincts partly to genetics — his father was a marine mechanical engineer — but insists that what truly brought his invention to life was relentless effort and a personal connection to the issues affecting his community. One such issue is the significant loss of perishable goods, particularly fish, due to inadequate storage options in coastal areas. However, Davis was quick to emphasize that the Kingsway refrigerating barrel goes beyond preserving fish. The innovation is designed to store a range of temperature-sensitive products, offering broader applications in agriculture, food distribution, pharmaceuticals, and more.
The inception of Kingsway came after a seemingly mundane event: Davis’s uncle once left fish inside an old barrel and had to rush out due to an emergency. The barrel, no longer in use, was set to be discarded. That moment sparked a transformative ideal, to repurpose discarded barrels into sustainable refrigeration units. In an environment where conventional fridges and freezers quickly deteriorate due to the corrosive effects of sea breeze, the Kingsway barrel presents a durable and cost-effective alternative.
Davis’s prototype was developed in Kingsway, New Takoradi, the inspiration behind the product’s name. With encouragement from local women, who were eager to see the project completed, Davis spent two years testing his invention near the coast. The tests revealed various challenges, including tampering, but Davis resolved each issue with skill and precision. The entire prototyping phase cost him GHS 10,000 and took nine months. Today, he is able to produce a single refrigerating barrel within just five days.
Speaking with Haruna Babangida the host on The PM Jam on Melody FM, Davis demonstrated a command of both technical detail and visionary thinking. In a light-hearted moment, Haruna joked about how many TTI graduates struggle with English, a stereotype that Davis shattered with his articulate and thoughtful responses. He humorously noted that if not for his invention, he might never have spoken English in such depth, highlighting how the Kingsway barrel gave him both a voice and a platform.
The Kingsway brand now includes two models: the Kingsway Power Freezer and the Kingsway Regular Freezer, both engineered with eco-conscious materials and energy-efficient designs. To extend their lifespan, Davis developed a special insulation jacket that shields the units from environmental damage. The refrigerating barrels have been distributed to various coastal communities in the Western Region, where they have proven essential in reducing spoilage and waste.
Currently operating under a pre-order model, Davis requires clients to pay half of the GHS 1,800 cost upfront and the remaining balance upon delivery. He believes that with the right investment, mass production will significantly reduce costs through wholesale procurement of components.
Despite his progress, Davis identified critical challenges, particularly in securing capital and expanding his operational space. He operates from a tent near Kingsway and hopes to move into a larger facility with a skilled team to increase output and meet growing demands,including orders from as far as Nigeria.
What sets Davis apart is not only his invention, but the ethos behind it: innovation rooted in community, sustainability, and impact. His journey exemplifies how local solutions, when nurtured and supported, can address global issues such as food security, energy efficiency, and economic empowerment.
In closing, Desmond Davis extended heartfelt gratitude to the people of New Takoradi and Takoradi at large for their unwavering support. He encouraged young inventors across Ghana and Africa not to be deterred by obstacles. His story is a powerful reminder that with creativity, perseverance, and community backing, meaningful innovation can emerge from even the most unexpected places.