A fresh, colourful picture of Africa with a flow of life and colours, breathing for every European,

used to neon light in the cold supermarkets. In Lomé, the capital of Togo, trade in the marketplace

is controlled by a group of 10-20 women, who have become millionaires by selling textiles. Sleek,

elderly ladies who have created a life of wealth and respect despite their illiteracy; they are strong,

independent, and don't take orders from anybody. Their annual turnover makes up one-fourth of

the entire country’s gross national product. These women are called "Mama Benz". A Mama Benz

is a woman who controls the textile trade and is conveyed around the city in a big chauffeur-driven

Mercedes.