Oil and gas discoveries spurred expectations of economic growth and employment in Ghana. The
demand for labour is however limited within offshore petroleum extraction. Employment generation therefore
depends on the development of an onshore oil and gas service sector. This study examines the strategies adopted
by local entrepreneurs in the ‘oil city’ of Takoradi, focusing on the gendered nature of their activities, skills,
networks and capital sources. I argue that the petroleum industry’s male dominance and international standards
requirements, coupled with gender constraints regarding work and access to relevant resources, limit female
entrepreneurs’ creation of employment in this emerging sector.