The Advantages of Living in Ghana

What comes to mind when you think of Ghana? 

Before coming to the country I knew very little outside of the transatlantic slave trade, kente cloth stoles my colleagues sported at graduation and fufu/ jollof. 

A limited understanding?…. most definitely. 

Let me start out by saying, moving to Ghana was never a long term goal or dream of mine. My story is not one of pilgrimage rooted in a longing to connect with my roots or heritage. To be honest it wasn’t a choice I would’ve ever made outright, not because I don’t have an affinity to the African continent, but because I never imagined my career converging with Ghana as a location. 

Life is funny though. My husband’s job moved us here on temporary assignment and I quickly found myself engrossed in the land of kelewele singing, ‘Thunder‘ by Kidi.

After one-and-a-half years of living here, I feel like I can now share experiences that have some weight behind them, not just touristy anecdotes. Ghana has really been a transformative part of my life journey and I can honestly say that living here has expanded my world-view and helped me understand the continent on a more nuanced level.

I now also see how vastly different regions of the African continent are in terms of food, culture, and regional personalities. My husband (who’s a very proud Kenyan) and I often joke about the East vs. West African differences….but I’ll save that for another blog post.

I should also preface this article by saying that most of my experiences take place in the capital city, Accra. I’ve traveled to several other regions of the country (Takoradi, Ada Foah, Dzita, Elmina, Busua and Kwahu). Still, my day to day schedule is spent amongst the city streets of Accra. No city is alike and I do understand that life in a big city is not identical to that of a smaller town or village. While Ghana is not a perfect nation, and far from an Africocentric utopia, it has many advantages that I feel are worth highlighting. 

1. The focus on family and the general communal mindset.

If you make it a point to be respectful and cordial, you’ll find that people in Ghana are more than willing to lend a hand, point you in the right direction or teach you something new. People generally look out for others here.

A good example of this is that one time my phone decided to die while I was out running errands. I still had to catch an Uber home and didn’t bring my external charger with me. Ugh, the battery life on my phone dwindles by the year (Thank you Apple updates). Nevertheless, a kind lady in a shoe store let me charge my phone and chill in her shop for thirty minutes as I waited. She even took the time to talk and get to know me. 

As an American having grown up in the U.S., it’s easy to view the world through a more individualistic lens. This is not to say that American’s are heartless towards others, but in Ghana, I’ve found that people really make the community an essential part of everyday life. 

People typically know their neighbors. 

You’ll never be side eye’d for crashing a wedding or funeral. 

Similarly, it’s rare that you’ll meet someone who doesn’t have a regular place of worship or like-minded community.

People’s work lives in Ghana quickly become close-knit and familial, almost to a fault. This is just the culture.

In the same sense, most adults can be commonly referred to as ‘auntie’ or ‘uncle’ by younger children or simply out of respect. I got confused one day when an acquaintance asked me, “Oh, and how is your sister doing?”. I started talking about my biological sister but realized they were actually referring to my female neighbor lol.

The last thing I’ve noticed is that greeting people, even if they’re randomly walking-by, isn’t seen as weird. Instead, greeting people is actually the expectation. My experience has also been that most Ghanaians are less afraid to look you in the eye, engage in small talk or exchange contact information. Though this sort of behavior is reminiscent of the American South, you’d be hard-pressed to find this behavior in northern American cities. 

I’ve observed this truth each time I ride in an Uber or trotro. When I give the driver or other passengers a warm greeting like, “Good evening” or “Good afternoon”, they immediately loosen up. I no longer come-off like an out-of-touch foreigner. They usually respond by saying, “I’m well, by His grace”.

2.  I never feel like a minority.

The term ‘minority’ is a loaded one, but the simplest explanation I can give is that I never feel like I have to explain my blackness or engage in code-switching in Ghana. I almost never feel like I’m wearing my race. I don’t experience the ‘double-consciousness’ W.E.B Dubois describes so poignantly in his book, ‘The Soul’s of Black folk’.

I just feel like a human being moving through society without any subtle pressure to be understood on a racial level.

I never have to think about being ‘the only one’ in the room. The politics of black hair and curvy clothing are not even topics up for debate or explanation. They’re not things that are heavily policed or judged in the ways that I’ve experienced in the West. This is not to say that I’m never judged in Ghana, but being judged simply for my race is the last thing on most people’s list. 

3. There’s no shortage of places to get your hair done.

I’ve always managed to find places to get my hair done in the US, but I’ve never had the joy of living in a Black hair mecca like Atlanta. It’s kind of a struggle to find that one faithful black salon in American suburbia, but even if I’ve had to drive over the river and through the woods, a black woman ALWAYS finds a way to tend to her hair.

In Ghana, there’re hundreds of places to get your hair braided and styled. From bougie salons to basic containers, I was really happy that I could find different places here that do a range of hairstyles.

4. The abundance of fresh organic produce.

Raw shea butter, black soap, pineapple, mango’s, peppers, onions, you name it, and you can usually find it. The best part about produce in Ghana is that it’s easily accessible. Instead of driving a couple of miles to CVS, Walgreens or the grocery, small container stalls are nestled around different neighborhoods where you can get food staples.

This has been particularly convenient when I’ve forgotten to get something at the grocery store. I can just go around the corner and get enough tomatoes and fresh pineapple for the week. Instead of having your trusted store where the clerk knows your name, there comes a point when you have your go-to produce stand or food stall. I know that I’ll really miss that about Ghana.

5. Ghana is very safe.

Relative to the instability and carnage going on in other places around the world, Ghana is the last place you need to be worried about. Though there is definite corruption (yep, I’ll save that discussion for another blog post), I haven’t seen that affecting the basic safety needs of everyday people in Accra. I’ve never felt afraid in public transportation, and I find that I can go places alone and not feel like I need to look over my shoulder every few minutes. As long as you use common sense and stay alert, there’s usually nothing to worry about.

6. The tropical weather

This could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your personal preferences. Believe me when I say, in Ghana, you’ll never have to worry about being cold. The average temperatures are between 30°C (86°F) during the day and 24°C (75°F) at night. Many people in Ghana don’t have AC units and are acclimated to the tropical climate.

I typically prefer warm weather over cold weather because I shamelessly love wearing sundresses. Even though it was tough getting used to the humidity, I’ve come to appreciate not having four seasons and four sets of clothing. I love not having to carry around extra layers. 

7. A vibrant food culture

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Ghanaians is that they LOVE their food. When I first got here I didn’t really get the hype. With time I’ve grown to see that the uniqueness lies not simply in the flavors, but from the volume and variety of foods here. With the great diversity of local food options in Ghana, who wouldn’t be proud?

Even after one-and-a-half years in the country, I’m still learning about new snacks that I never realized existed. Most recently I was introduced to these small circular cookies called, Aduule, that my friends let me taste on a road trip from Ghana to Togo.

Oh, and did I mention that Ghana is one of the world’s largest exporters of cocoa? I’ve found this to be especially rewarding as a chocolate lover. If traveling down the rabbit hole of local eateries is your thing, Ghana won’t disappoint.

8. A growing economy

In 2019 the IMF rated Ghana as one of the fastest-growing economies. Ghanaians can tell you that Accra today, looks nothing like it did twenty years ago. Though a growing economy doesn’t solve every issue affecting people on the ground, it’s a great sign in terms of development and the long-term future of the country.

Life in Ghana definitely has many advantages. I’ve come to appreciate different parts of the culture that make the country unique. I’ll discuss some of the challenges of living in Ghana in my next article, so stay tuned!

What are your experiences in Ghana? Share and comment below!

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