Wanderlust and Wi-Fi: The Ups and Downs of Being a Digital Nomad in West Africa
I found myself swaying on a balcony in Abidjan, Ivory Coast’s bustling capital. At first, I chalked it up to the rum tasting we’d indulged in.
“Do you feel that?” a newfound friend inquired.
That’s when it hit us. We were all sensing the same thing. The next day, news broke that we’d felt the tremors from a devastating earthquake in Morocco. It was a humbling moment, underscoring the contrasts and rapid changes that define this continent.
I’ve worked in over 20 African countries
My current mission is to visit every country in the world and as digital nomad, work needs to come along side of that.
Africa is a massive place with 54 countries, the highest of any continent accounting for 28% of UN member states. It’s a precarious challenge to write about Africa (this is a fantastic article explaining why), but having visited much of the continent, I wanted to take a minute to reflect and share.
The good
There’s an almost overwhelming rush of heat, sounds and faces as you first step out the airport. You hear a mixture of French, English, creole and indigenous languages as your taxi driver greets acquaintances on the street. Food just tastes better when you’re eating with your hands.
🏖️ Nature & Beaches: Often just a two-hour drive from the capital, you’ll find pristine beaches perfect for sunbathing and sipping a cold beer.
🏛️ History & Culture: From voodoo markets in Benin to the lingering effects of colonial history, the cultural tapestry here is rich and varied.
🤝 People: The majority of locals are incredibly welcoming, eager to share their culture and learn about yours.
🛂 Visas: Many West African countries now offer e-visas, streamlining the travel process significantly.
The bad
✈️ Accommodation & Flights: With limited options, you often end up paying a premium for basic amenities.
👀 The Hassle & ‘False Friendships’: While most people are genuinely friendly, there’s a recurring pattern of people building a relationship towards an ‘ask’ e.g. visa help, which can be emotionally draining.
💶 Inefficiencies: Whenever you arrive in a place you run what I call ‘the gauntlet.’ You need to get through immigration, customs, security, then take money out and buy a sim card and finally find a taxi and check into your accommodation. At best, this is slow, and at worst this is maddeningly frustrating, especially when government officials try and solicit bribes — although thankfully this hasn’t happened in a confrontational way yet.
What else…
⌛ Time — In the West, we place a high value on time. We get upset if a train is 10 minutes late and we would be flabbergasted if our taxi driver stopped for 20 minutes to run an errand mid-journey. It’s not a place where things go fast and you just have to accept it. Once you do, there’s something quite cathartic about just ‘letting go.’ When will your bus leave? It will leave when it leaves…
🦸 Safety — the advice you get is don’t walk around at night by yourself with your phone out. Pretty much the same as you’d hear in many places around the world. The crime here tends to opportunistic rather than violent, so generally you’re going to be ok.
Where you should go
The things I look for in a place:
- Good WiFi / 4G mobile network
- Easy access to friendly and interesting people
- Nice places to eat food
- Fun adventures and activities
Where you should go
These are the countries I could imagine basing myself for 3+ months. It’s a good blend of the exciting and new, but with lots of creature comforts like Uber and good restaurants.
- 🇸🇳 Senegal
- 🇬🇲 Gambia
- 🇬🇭 Ghana
- 🇲🇦 Morocco (either Marrakech or surf towns further south on the coast)
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria (haven’t been yet, but heard great things)
- 🇨🇻Capo Verde
Where it’s a challenge
- 🇲🇷Mauritania
- 🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau
- 🇬🇳Guinea
- 🇸🇱Sierra Leone
- 🇱🇷Liberia
- 🇹🇬Togo
- 🇧🇯Benin
🇫🇷 Note: French is a huge advantage, especially in West Africa.
Bali or Abidjan?
W.Africa is not the easiest place to be a digital nomad and is still miles away from the comfort and convenience of Bali and Lisbon, but it’s not as hard as people think. If you want to do something different, come and work in Africa.
