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Blog, Ghana

Ghana – Travel Guide

Facts to assist you when travelling to Ghana

Population

The Ghanaian population currently stands at 34 million.

Capital and Largest City

The capital and largest city in Ghana is Accra.

Official Language(s)

Ghana is a multilingual country, as different languages are spoken by its different ethnicities. However, all formal institutions as well as the government conduct business is English.

Currency

The Ghanaian Cedi is the official currency of Ghana.

Office Hours

People in Ghana work an average of 40 hours a week, from 8am until 5pm.

Weekend

Saturdays and Sundays are weekends in Ghana.

Time Zone

Greenwich Mean Time.

Calling Code

+233.

Tipping

Tipping in Ghana is usually 10%-15% of the total bill.

Embassies

Ghana hosts 67 embassies and 46 consulates.

Government

The New Patriotic Party is the ruling party in Ghana.

Climate

Ghana has a tropical climate. Average daily temperatures range from 30°C (86°F) during the day to 24°C (75°F) at night. The eastern coastal belt is warm and comparatively dry, the south-west corner of Ghana is hot and humid, and the north of Ghana is hot and dry.

Transport

Transport in Ghana is conducted via road, rail, air and water. Increased transport investment helped to increase the number of new vehicle registrations and transportation alternatives include rail, road, ferry, marine and air.

Economy

Ghana has a diverse and rich resource base, including the manufacturing and exportation of digital technology goods, automotive and ship construction and exportation, and the exportation of diverse and rich resources such as hydrocarbons and industrial minerals. These have given Ghana one of the highest GDP per capita in West Africa. Owing to a GDP rebasement, in 2011 Ghana became the fastest-growing economy in the world.[18].

Hospitality

Hospitality in Ghana is generally associated with the generous and friendly reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

Greetings

Handshakes are the most common means of greeting. It is common and respectful to wait for a woman to extend her hand first. Rushing a greeting is extremely rude. Instead, take time to inquire about people’s health, family and jobs. When addressing strangers or acquittances, use the honorific title plus any academic or professional title and the surname, and wait until invited before moving to a first-name basis.

Money

The Ghana Cedi (GHS), divided into 100 pesewas. The US Dollar (USD) is widely accepted in the main cities and tourist areas. Many international banks are represented in Ghana. ATMs are common in the cities but are harder to find in more rural locations. Hence, Ghana is a predominantly cash-based economy as a result of this as well as the prevalence of credit card fraud.

Transportation

Ghana’s transportation and communications networks are focused in the southern regions, most specifically in the areas in which some of their natural resource such a gold, cocoa, and timber are produced. The northern and central areas are connected through a major road system.

Safety

Most visits to Ghana are trouble free, but criminal activity does occur and can range from incidents of petty crime to opportunistic crime, to violent crime such as robbery, burglary and serious assault that can include the use of weapons. Therefore, expats are advised to take necessary precautions.

Culture

There are over 100 ethnic groups living in Ghana. The largest are Akan, Moshi-Dagbani, Ewe, and Ga. The Ashanti tribe of the Akan are the largest tribe and one of the few societies in West Africa. Once famous for the luxury and wealth of their rulers, they are now more well known for their craftwork such as hand-carved stools, fertility dolls, and ‘kente’ cloth. Kente cloth is made cotton and is woven in bright, narrow strips with complex patterns.

Shops

The main shopping malls in Accra are Accra Mall, the Junction mall, the Achimota Mall and the WestHills Mall. The biggest is the WestHills Mall but it’s far from the Expat preferred residential areas. The most patronized is the Accra mall which tends to serve the Expat community due to its proximity. The Osu Mall is as good as the Accra mall and also patronized by the Expat community. Marina Mall is located in the Centre of Airport City.

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Written by Saudika Hendricks

Edited by Eloise Williams

In Africa, there is an alarming third wave as the vaccine rollout is hampered. In recent light of the vaccine rollout in all parts of the world, third world countries vaccine rollout seems to be stagnant, experts fearing that it may take decades to vaccinate their respective countries.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) regional office has reported that the third wave of Covid-19 cases is spreading faster in Africa. On Thursday, 17 June 2021, WHO regional director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti warned, “With a rapid increase in the number of cases and increasing reports of severe disease, the latest wave threatens to be the worst to date in Africa,”

According to the regional office, for five consecutive weeks, Africa has seen an increase in Covid-19 cases, signaling the beginning of the third wave in Africa. “As of 20 June—day 48 into the new wave—Africa had recorded around 474 000 new cases—a 21% increase compared with the first 48 days of the second wave.” As reported by WHO, the pandemic is resurging in 12 African countries and at the current rate of infections, the ongoing surge is set to surpass the previous one by early July.

18 African countries have already used over 80% of their COVAX vaccine supplies, 29 have administered over 50% of their suppliers, and eight have exhausted their vaccine supply. It is important to be aware that just over 1% of Africa’s population has been fully vaccinated. Globally, 2.7 billion doses have been administered, with just under 1.5% having been administered in Africa.

Dr Moeti is urging the international community to help Africa deal with the Covid-19 vaccine supply as the surge threatens to impair not only Africa’s economy but society.

Africa, Ghana, News

Ghana Selected as Manufacturing Hub for COVID-19 Vaccines in Africa

Ghana has been selected as the manufacturing hub for COVID-19 vaccines in Africa and has also been excluded from the European Union’s list of money laundering nations.

A statement was issued by the Jubilee House, Ghana’s presidential palace following a recent meeting in Belgium with Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis. According to the European Commission, the Government of Ghana has taken remarkable initiatives towards the domestic manufacturing of vaccines.

Ghana was the first country in the world to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility and began its first phase of mass vaccination earlier this year. Ghana has administered over 900 000 doses, projecting to vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year. Taskforce teams elected from the European Union (EU) and Ghana will convene to discuss the approach in the realisation of this initiative that the European Investment Bank (EIB) could be supporting.

The European Commission has also announced the decision to remove Ghana from the AntiMoney Laundering and Terrorism Financing deficiency list. “The European Union acknowledged the efforts Ghana has made in implementing the action plan of the International Country Risk Guide (ICRG) in record time. The Commission, thus, congratulated Ghana for the reforms embarked on, as well as the sustainable, robust systems deployed towards being taken off the list” the release added.

Ghana will be a great destination for investment and we are proud to offer services for Immigration and Relocation services into Accra, Ghana. Please contact us for further information.

Ghana, News

Ghana’s Central Bank Shuts Door on Lending Government More Money

Bank of Ghana Governor Ernest Addison ruled out providing more loans to the government to help narrow the budget shortfall, saying it would put exchange-rate stability at risk.

The central bank shelved its zero-financing policy this year to lend the government 10 billion cedis ($1.7 billion) to help mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the West African economy. Ghana’s budget deficit is projected to reach 11.4% of gross domestic product by the end of December, against an initial target of 4.7% of GDP.

“The wide fiscal gap raises important financing issues,” Addison said in a speech late Thursday, in the capital, Accra. “Its financing should not be by recourse to central bank funds, as this will weaken the central bank’s ability to serve as the anchor of monetary- and exchange-rate stability.”

The cedi has had its most stable spell in more than a decade this year, weakening 2.6% to the U.S. dollar. That’s even as the global health crisis drove Ghana’s ratio of debt to gross domestic product to 71% in September, the highest in four years.

“Going forward, difficult decisions will have to be taken to reorganize public finances and expenditure priorities, while exploring more sustainable revenue sources,” Addison said.

For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.

Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].