Festivals · May · Central

Aboakyer

Winneba’s race to catch a live bushbuck

Aboakyer is the deer hunt festival of the Effutu people of Winneba in the Central Region. On a Saturday at the start of May, two Asafo companies, the Tuafo and the Dentsefo, race into the bush to catch a live bushbuck with sticks, clubs and their hands. The first to bring it to the paramount chief wins, and the animal is offered to the god Penkye Otu.

Early MayBe in Winneba on the Saturday morning: the hunters set out at dawn.

Hunters hold a live bushbuck above the crowd at Aboakyer in Winneba
The catch, carried in triumphFquasie · CC BY-SA 4.0
When
A week ending on the first Saturday of May (or the last of April)
Where
Winneba, Central Region
Kept by
The Effutu people, led by the Effutu Omanhen
The hunters
Tuafo No. 1 and Dentsefo No. 2 Asafo companies
Region
Central

The story behind the hunt

Aboakyer remembers the migration of the Effutu, the Simpa people, south to Winneba, and grew from sacrifices to their god Otu for a good harvest and protection from evil.1

By tradition the priest first demanded a young member of the royal family each year. The people appealed and were allowed a wild cat instead, caught alive, but so many hunters died trying that they appealed again, and Penkye Otu, named after the place where they settled, accepted a young deer.1 That is the animal the Asafo companies still hunt.

What happens

  1. The week before

    Clean-up, health walk and the gods on parade

    In 2024 the festival opened a week ahead with clean-up exercises, a health walk and a parade of the gods through Winneba’s main streets.2

  2. Saturday dawn

    The hunt

    The Tuafo No. 1 and Dentsefo No. 2 Asafo companies head for their own hunting grounds at dawn, carrying sticks and clubs and singing war songs.1

  3. Saturday

    The catch

    The first company to bring a live bushbuck to the Omanhen wins. Coming back empty-handed is a bad omen, so each hopes the other succeeds too. When word of a catch reaches town, the streets erupt.1 In 2024 the Dentsefo brought in the first bushbuck and the Tuafo followed.2

  4. Saturday afternoon

    The durbar

    Chiefs and people gather for a durbar. The Omanhen steps on the bushbuck three times, a sign that Penkye Otu accepts it, before the rites continue.12

Good to know if you go

  • Where: Winneba is on the coast road between Accra and Cape Coast, about an hour or two from Accra.
  • When: the hunt is on the Saturday; the durbar is in the afternoon. Come early to see the companies set off.
  • Keep clear: the companies move fast and in force when they return with a catch. Watch from the side of the road.
  • Respect the rites: some rituals are sacred and not for cameras. Ask before photographing chiefs, priests or anyone taking part, and follow what the ushers ask.
  • Back in January: Winneba also hosts the Winneba Masquerade on New Year’s Day.

Questions people ask

What is the Aboakyer festival?

The deer hunt festival of the Effutu people of Winneba, in which two Asafo companies race to catch a live bushbuck for the god Penkye Otu.

When is Aboakyer?

It runs for about a week and peaks on a Saturday at the start of May. In 2024 it opened on 27 April.

Who are the Tuafo and Dentsefo?

The two Asafo (warrior) companies of Winneba, No. 1 and No. 2, who compete in the hunt.

Sources

  1. Douglas Anane-Frimpong, “Aboakyir: Deer Hunt Festival”, Graphic Online, 7 May 2022.
  2. “Effutu Traditional Area celebrates Aboakyer in splendour”, Ghana News Agency, 5 May 2024.

Last checked 16 October 2026. Spotted something wrong or know this year’s dates? Tell us.

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