Nigerian-Ghanaian Chinwe Nana Yaa Emmanuel, popularly known as Chinaa, has spent nearly a decade navigating the creative and tech sectors. But her story all began with a camera.
Her earliest memory of creating value was simple: recording church services, burning them onto CDs, and selling them to members who wanted to rewatch the experience.
“That was my very first experience,” she recalls with a laugh. “Taking videos, turning them into CDs, and selling them to people who wanted to relive those moments. It was the start of everything.”
What seemed like a small experiment at the time planted a seed. She didn’t know it yet, but she was learning her first lesson about creativity.
The Pull of Animation
If videography was her entry point, animation was her obsession. Growing up, cartoons fascinated her, not just the stories, but the colors, textures, and designs that made them feel alive.
“I was a huge fan of cartoons, and honestly, I still watch anime today,” she says. “The designs were so colorful and attractive. They stuck with me. They shaped the way I saw creativity.”
So when she moved from videography into frontend web development, that pull toward color and design resurfaced.
“I noticed I was always tinkering with VSCode,” she explains. “Changing colors, experimenting with fonts, giving every client a unique look. My friends used to joke, asking if I was a developer or a designer. And honestly, that’s when I realized, design was where my heart really was.”
That realization marked a turning point. She leaned into web design fully, exploring UI/UX, branding, and even illustration before finding her sweet spot in building websites.
Building a Creative Career
Over the years, the creative scene has been both a stage and a classroom for Chinaa. It has taught her what it means to work with clients across the globe, how to solve problems, how to manage expectations, and how to deliver work that goes beyond “pretty” to being functional and effective.
“The creative scene has shaped my career because I’ve been able to work with clients all over the world,” she says. “It showed me the kind of problems that need to be solved and what techies should understand about working with clients.”
It has also shifted her perspective on career paths. “I tell people all the time that tech is not the only option. Creativity itself is a career. And in the back of my mind, I know there are other things I can still do outside tech if I ever want to explore.”
Today, her focus is clear. She uses Framer to build websites for startups and businesses, with a specialization in landing pages and full sites. She avoids e-commerce projects, choosing instead to master sleek, conversion-driven designs that help businesses grow.
The Payment Struggles
Her rise as a global creative didn’t come without roadblocks. One of the toughest challenges was payments.
“Back then, it wasn’t as easy as it is now. One of my first US clients actually introduced me to crypto just so I could get paid,” she remembers. “I created an account, learned how to use it, and then converted it into local currency. But it wasn’t smooth at all.”
The problem wasn’t just the complexity of crypto. Not everyone was using it at the time, and even when they did, there was always the trust issue, clients hesitated when asked to send payments into accounts that weren’t in her name.
“I even used my friend’s account for a long time, just to make things work. Later, I tried other applications, but that didn’t always go through either. It was frustrating.”
Payments became a distraction, a constant worry that weighed on her creative process.
Everything changed when she found Accrue through a friend, Delppy
“The first thing I wanted was to open an account in my own name. Clients were always worried when I sent them account details that didn’t match my name. Accrue solved that immediately. Suddenly, I had an account that was mine, in my name, and I could send money to family in Nigeria while still handling international payments with ease.”
The Freedom to Create
That peace of mind freed her up to focus on what mattered: her craft.
“When you’re stressed about payments, it takes away from your creativity,” she explains. “But once that hurdle is gone, you’re free. Free to create, free to experiment, free to deliver your best work without worrying if the money will come through.”
It also reshaped the way she positioned herself with clients. With smooth payments, she could present herself as not just a freelancer, but as a professional creative who was prepared for global business.
Having walked this path herself, Chinaa is quick to share advice with other African creatives looking to work abroad:
“You need to know the standards, and then hone your skills to meet and exceed them. Clients hire you to deliver quality that converts. That’s your job. Niche down and specialize so people know you as an authority. And don’t just match international standards, top them.”
Looking Ahead
Even after a decade in tech, Chinaa isn’t slowing down. Her goals are constantly evolving. She wants to keep growing as a designer, keep improving her skills, and keep delivering excellence for her clients.
But none of that happens without money discipline.
“I’m saving my emergency funds again, and this time I’m doubling down. I’m also saving for a new phone. I split my money into different accounts for different targets, so I know exactly what’s going where. That structure keeps me in control.”
For her, financial discipline is about freedom. “When you’re disciplined with money, you remove the pressure. You know you’ve handled the basics, and that gives you room to focus on what matters most.”
As she puts it: “When you’re disciplined with money, you’re free. And when you’re free, you can create without limits.”
I’ve lived many lives, but one lesson ties them all together: money is only as powerful as its utility. Through my work, I share stories about money and create guides for Africans who want to get the best out of theirs.