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“GOD GAVE HER A MERCEDES BENZ”: THE NANA BENZ OF LOMÉ & THE FEMINIST FRONTIER OF WAX FABRICS
A Historical Investigation into the Businesswomen Fashioning Togolese Identity through Textiles
by MAX DIALLO JAKOBSEN [2024]
"How much does Democracy cost?" asks the woman holding up her rolled-up wad of cash, her determined gaze fixed on Maman, the unwavering figure behind the counter. In the bustling fabric store in downtown Lomé, the air is thick with anticipation as each woman raises her francs, attempting to bargain and lower the price. But Maman remains resolute, refusing to compromise on the value of her merchandise. These spirited scenes, reminiscent of a vibrant marketplace dance, were vividly captured in the 1993 film "GOD GAVE HER A MERCEDES BENZ" by Katia Forbert Peterson. Through the lens of this documentary, we catch a glimpse of the remarkable Nana Benz, a group of influential women who ruled over the textile trade in Togo's capital city.
The Nana Benz, a group of Togolese women entrepreneurs who gained fame and fortune in the textile industry, became synonymous with the city of Lomé in the late 20th century. Their success was built on their shrewd business acumen and their reputation for negotiating the best deals with wholesalers and securing the highest-quality fabrics for their customers. In Peterson's 1993 film, "GOD GAVE HER A MERCEDES BENZ," one particular Nana Benz and her daughter are the narrative’s focus. The film captures the essence of the bustling fabric stores in downtown Lomé, where customers are drawn in by the vibrant colors and textures of the fabrics on offer. In treating and reading the film as a primary source, we can uncover and better understand the ways in which Nana Benz navigated Togolese society and the role that wax fabrics played in the fabric of Togolese society. There are many aspects of the Nana Benz textile economy that the film sheds light on and that deserve extended analysis but for the purposes of this limited investigation, I will focus on the discursive role that the wax fabrics sold by the Nana Benz played in the fashioning of Togolese identity in the post-colonial period. I contend that although wax fabrics have a deep and complicated connection to European colonialism in Africa --as they were and continue to be colonial imports-- their role in the formation of an independent and common Togolese national identity built on unifying values and the bolstering of an economy which supported the country is worth extended study.
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