Celebrated Europe-based Ghanaian actress, model, author, and philanthropist Dayan Kodua has returned home to Ghana after spending 34 years in Germany, where she built an illustrious international career in film, fashion, and publishing.
Kodua, who made history in 2001 as the first Black woman to win the Miss Schleswig-Holstein beauty pageant in Germany, received a warm and emotional welcome at Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Overcome with emotion, she was moved to tears as she stepped onto Ghanaian soil for the first time in decades, fully ready to begin a new chapter focused on reconnecting with her heritage and giving back to her homeland.
“I left Ghana when I was just ten years old,” she told journalists at the airport as she wept tears off her face, adding that “Coming back to Ghana is like being more grounded to my root.”
Despite her decades-long stay in Germany, Dayan has remained deeply connected to her Ghanaian identity.
She proudly embraces her Ashanti heritage and speaks Twi alongside German, English, and French. Over the years, she has become an influential figure in Europe—not only as an entertainer but also as a cultural ambassador and advocate for representation.
A graduate of Kiel University of Applied Sciences, Kodua earned a degree in economics before pursuing acting at the Coaching Company Berlin, Theater of Arts, and the Howard Fine Acting Studio in Los Angeles.
Her acting credits include appearances in Boston Legal, Passions, Crank, and numerous German television series.
She has also modeled for high-profile designers such as Thierry Mugler, Escada, and Versace.
In 2005, she was named an honorary cultural ambassador for the African continent in Germany. That same passion for representation led her to launch her own publishing house, Gratitude Verlag (Gratitude Publishing)—making her the first Black woman to do so in Germany—and author several books, including My Black Skin: Black. Successful. German., which features inspiring stories from 25 Afro-German role models. She also penned a children’s book titled Odo in 2019.
Dayan Kodua’s return to Ghana marks not just a personal homecoming, but a powerful full-circle moment for a woman who has championed Black excellence, diversity, and cultural pride on global stages.
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