Living in Africa
The Essential Expatriate Resources
| Africa is a huge and diverse continent with a wealth of natural resources and great cultural diversity. But after centuries of economic exploitation from colonial powers, most African countries still struggle to achieve political, economic and social stability. Rebel groups operate in many countries, and ethnic and religious conflict is widespread. This makes African countries a difficult destination for expatriates, but there are notable exceptions.
Botswana, for example, has been a stable democracy since its independence in 1966. It is a country with a rapidly growing economy, and low inflation. Angola ended its 27-year civil war in 2002, and has embarked on s slow course of recovery. South Africa has shown strong economic growth and political stability since the end of apartheid. As Africa's wealthiest and most developed nation, South Africa attracts international business, expatriates and students. And soccer fans will enjoy hearing that in 2010 South Africa will host the biggest international event ever to take place on African soil: the Fifa World Cup soccer tournament–a sure sign that the international community is beginning to recognize that some countries in Africa are on a steady path toward stability and prosperity.
According to the Association of American Residents Overseas (AARO), which relies on figures from the U.S. government among other sources, there are currently about 90,000 Americans living in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Due to the fact that the African continent attracts only a small number of expatriates from Europe and North America, we currently only offer specific country information for Egypt and South Africa.
TransitionsAbroad.com has compiled the best resources about Africa for current expatriates and those who dream of moving and living abroad. Most of the listed resources have separate sections for many African countries. —Living Abroad Editor Volker Poelzl
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| Featured Articles on Living, Working, Studying, and Traveling in Africa |
| Business and Economy in Africa |
ADB - African Development Bank Group, www.afdb.org, is a multinational development bank dedicated to promoting Africa's socioeconomic development.
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), www.agoa.gov, is U.S. legislation enacted in 2000, which grants 37 African countries special trade and economic benefits with the U.S.
The Economist, www.economist.com, is a British weekly newsmagazine reporting on the global economy, politics etc., with a section of Africa.
Financial Times, www.ft.com, reports on world business, finance and politics. The website also has a homepage for the USA, Europe, and Asia, with a section on the Middle East and Africa.
International Monetary Fund, www.imf.org, promotes financial stability, international trade and economic growth among its 184 member countries. The website provides Country Information (for most countries in Africa) and a number of publications, including the World Economic Outlook.
Opportunity Africa, www.opportunityafrica.org.uk, produced by the British Trade International Africa team, provides useful information for UK companies intending to do business in Africa.
STAT-USA/Internet, www.stat-usa.gov, a service of the U.S. Department of Commerce, provides economic, business, and international trade information from the Federal government.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, www.uschamber.com, provides a directory of American Chambers of Commerce Abroad, with a section on Africa and Middle East.
U.S. Commercial Service, www.buyusa.gov, offers assistance to help U.S. businesses export goods and services to markets worldwide, including most African countries.
U.S. Government Export Portal, www.export.gov, publishes Country & Industry Market Reports, Commercial guides, and other essential information for doing business abroad.
United States Trade Representative, www.ustr.gov, provides information on trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries, as well as resources on trade, development, including a section on World Regions, including Africa.
U.K. Trade & Investment, www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk/, is a UK government organization helping UK companies do business abroad and helping overseas companies do business in the UK (for registered users only).
World Trade Organization, www.wto.org, regulates trade rules between its member countries, and provides information on economic data, trade regulations,disputes and agreements about its members, including most African countries.
| Country Facts and Information on Africa |
Africa South of the Sahara, African Studies Association, www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide.html. Site offers a huge number of links to web sites of organizations concerned with Africa, arranged by topics such as development, health, human rights.
African Studies, Univ. of Pennsylvania, www.africa.upenn.edu/AS.html. Ali Ali-Dinar, ed. Site offers a huge number of links for information about Africa. Look on the Bulletin Board for the “Job and Grant Opportunities” section.
BBC News, news.bbc.co.uk, provides country profiles on history, politics, economic background, and recent news in its Africa Section.
CIA World Factbook, www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook, compiled by the CIA, contains country profiles with basic information, including all countries in Africa.
The Consular Information Sheets, travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1765.html compiled by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, part of the U.S. Department of State, www.state.gov, provide useful information for travelers and expatriates on all African countries, with Travel Warnings, Travel Publications (general travel advice), Consular Information Sheets, and much more.
Library of Congress Country Studies, lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html, provide detailed economic, historical, social, and political information for 101 countries, with a section on Africa that includes profiles of many African countries.
Nations Online Project, www.nationsonline.org, is a destination guide to countries of the world. The Africa Section provides links to all African countries.
United Kingdom, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, www.fco.gov.uk, provides Country Profiles with basic information and links. There is a separate section for the Middle East and North Africa, as well as for Sub-Saharan Africa.
The U.S. Department of State, www.state.gov, publishes Country Background Notes, with facts about the land, people, history, government, political conditions, economy, and foreign relations, with separate sections for North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org, the free online encyclopedia, provides useful articles and information about Africa in general, with links to specific countries.
| Education and Study in Africa |
Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA), www.aisa.or.ke. c/o International School of Kenya, P.O. Box 14103, Nairobi 0800, Kenya.
Tel. 254-20-418-1658/2578; Fax 254-20-418-0596; aisa@isk.ac.ke.
Office of Overseas Schools, Department of State, www.state.gov/m/a/os, provides a Directory of Schools and Regional Education Associations listing American International Schools in Africa.
GoAbroad.com, www.goabroad.com, in its Study Abroad section provides an international education database and resources for those intending to study abroad, including various countries in Africa, such as Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagaskar, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Worldwide Classroom, www.worldwide.edu, contains information on over 10,000 schools in 95 countries, with several listings for Africa, including Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, and Zimbabwe. The web pages include information about primary and secondary schools, as well as universities and language schools.
See our page on Study Abroad in Africa for more.
African Impact, www.africanimpact.com, provides advice and resources for visa, and work permit information for many countries in Africa.
The embassies and consulates listed below will be able to provide detailed information as well:
Links to United States Embassies and Consulates Worldwide, travel.state.gov/travel/tips/embassies, includes U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa.
Foreign Consular Offices in the United States, www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/fco/, provides a list of foreign embassies and consulates in the U.S., including most African countries.
List of British Embassies Overseas, www.fco.gov.uk, includes British diplomatic missions in African countries.
Representatives of Foreign States and Commonwealth Countries in the U.K., www.fco.gov.uk, includes embassies, consulates, and High Commissions of African countries.
Websites and E-Mail Addresses of Foreign Embassies in the U.S., www.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/dpl/32122.htm#S, includes the embassies of most countries in Africa.
Diplomatic Gateway to Canada, w01.international.gc.ca/protocol/main-en.asp, provides information about foreign Diplomatic Missions, Consular Offices, and International Organizations or Other Offices in Canada, including African countries.
List of Canadian Government Offices Abroad, www.voyage.gc.ca/main/foreign, includes embassies and HIgh Commissions in Africa.
| Expatriate Websites and Resources for Africa |
Allo' Expat Africa discussions forums, www.alloexpat.com/africa_expat_forum/, offers discussion forums for expatriates living in or moving to Africa. Includes dedicated african countries message boards.
British Expat, www.britishexpat.com, is a site for British citizens living abroad, featuring a British Expat Forum, with a section on Africa, including several African countries.
Expat Exchange, www.expatexchange.com, provides a wealth of resources and articles, as well as a forum.The site has a few useful articles and links for several African countries.
Expat Blog, www.expat-blog.com, is a worldwide directory of blogs related to expatriate life, with listings for several countries in Africa.
Escape Artist, www.escapeartist.com, a site mostly dedicated to off-shore investments and retirement havens, has a section on Africa.
Expat Web Directory, www.expatwebdirectory.com, provides listings of expatriate discussion groups and forums for most countries, including a section on Western Africa, Northern Africa, Eastern Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa.
Outpost Expatriate Network, www.outpostexpat.nl, provides expatriate resources for relocating Shell employees, but also has a Worldwide Relocation section open to everyone, which includes a section on Africa.
Meetup, www.meetup.com, lists group meetings in cities around the world to help bring people with common interests together and promote the development of active local communities. The site contains a Browse by Location section, listing most countries in Africa.
Tales from a Small Planet, www.talesmag.com, is a webzine with news, stories, links, excellent message boards, and other resources for travelers and expatriates, with "Real Post Reports" by expatriates, including most African countries.
| Government, International and Non-Profit Organizations in Africa |
African Union (AU), www.africa-union.org, is an organization dedicated to strengthening the union between African countries to promoting development and integration, and to resolving Africa's social, economic and political problems. The website provides information on member states and country profiles on all African countries.
The World Bank, www.worldbank.org, provides reports and analysis about infrastructure, health, trade and more, with a section on Sub-Saharan Africa that includes most of the region's countries.
United Nations Development Programme, www.undp.org, provides information about UN projects on democratic governance, social development, environment and sustainable development, and more, with a section on Africa. UNDP also publishes the annual Human Development report, www.undp.org/annualreports/, with in-depth analyses of development issues and trends worldwide, as well as the Human Development Index, a statistical tool comparing key Human development criteria of most countries worldwide, including Africa.
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NePAD), www.nepad.org, sponsored by the African Union, works to eradicate poverty and to promote peace, security and sustainable political and socioeconomic development in Africa.
Southern African Development Community (SADC), www.sadc.int, is an organization of fourteen Southern African countries, promoting economic and social development in the region.
Southern African Regional Poverty Network, www.sarpn.org.za, is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing poverty in the fourteen countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
Afro-Arab Cultural Institute, www.afroarab-ci.org, is dedicated to promoting relations and exchange between African and Arab people.
UN Millennium Project, www.unmillenniumproject.org, is a development strategy sponsored by the UN that strives to reach eight global development goals by the year 2015, among them eradication of extreme poverty, and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS. The UNESCO website, www.undp.org, has a section on the Millennium Development Goals in Africa.
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, www.uneca.org, supports the economic and social development of its 53 member States, fosters regional integration, and promotes international cooperation for Africa's development.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), www.unctad.org, is a UN branch dealing with trade, investment and development issues. Its main goal is to maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis. The UNCTAD website has a section on the Development of Africa.
World Trade Organization, www.wto.org, regulates trade rules between its 149 member countries, and provides information on economic data, trade regulations,disputes and agreements about its Members and Observers, including most African countries.
British Department For International Development (FDID), www.dfid.gov.uk/default.asp, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is is committed to an internationally agreed target to halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by 2015. FDID provides information on the countries that receive development aid, with a section on Africa.
DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), www.data.org, a non-profit organization founded by the rock musician Bono (U2), is dedicated to solving Africa's severe social, health and economic problems.
Catholic Relief Services, www.crs.org, the official relief and development agency of the Catholic Church, works in over 30 countries throughout Africa to provide humanitarian relief and development assistance in the fields of health and HIV/AIDS, peace and justice, education, agriculture, microfinance and emergency response.
USINFO, usinfo.state.gov/usinfo/, produced and maintained by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs, delivers information about current U.S. foreign policy and about American life and culture. This site has a section on Africa.
United Nations Website, www.un.org/english or www.un.int, provides a list of the Web Sites of the Permanent Missions to the United Nations, including African countries. The websites of the Permanent Missions provide general information about culture, politics and the economy, as well as a variety of useful links.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection, www.customs.gov, provides useful information on its Travel Spotlight page about customs regulations when leaving and entering the U.S.
| Housing and Real Estate in Africa |
Escape Artist, www.escapeartist.com, has an extensive International Real Estate listings, including a section on Africa, listing real estate in a number of African countries.
International Real Estate Digest, www.ired.com, provides international real estate listings, with a section on Africa, including many African countries.
International Real Estate Directory, www.internationalrealestatedirectory.com, has worldwide real estate listings, with a section on Africa, including several African countries.
AllAfrica, allafrica.com, provides content from over 125 African news organizations.
Africa News Online, www.newsfromafrica.org.
Afrol News, www.afrol.com.
BBC News Africa, news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/default.stm.
Kidon Media Link, www.kidon.com, an online directory of world newspapers and news media, has an extensive listing of news media, with a section on Africa.
Live-radio.net, www.live-radio.net/info.shtml, provides continuously updated links to thousands of online radio stations worldwide, including a section on Africa.
Online Newspapers, www.onlinenewspapers.com, lists over 1000 links to online newspapers worldwide, including most countries in Africa.
Yahoo! Directory: Africa Links, dir.yahoo.com/Regional/regions/africa, is a regional directory to websites about Africa.
| Recommended Reading on Africa |
Lonely
Planet Africa by Gemma Pitcher, David Andrew,
Kate Armstrong, and James Bainbridge |
| Lonely
Planet Africa on a Shoestring by Kevin Anglin,
Becca Blond, and Jean-Bernard Carillet |
| Lonely
Planet Healthy Travel Africa (Lonely Planet Healthy Travel Guides Africa) by
Isabelle Young |
| Lonely
Planet West Africa by Anthony Ham and James
Bainbridge |
| Lonely
Planet East Africa by Mary Fitzpatrick and
Tom Parkinson |
| Lonely
Planet Southern Africa by Alan Murphy, Kate
Armstrong, Matthew Firestone, and Mary Fitzpatrick |
| Lonely
Planet Trekking in East Africa by Matt Fletcher,
David Wenk, and Mary Fitzpatrick |
| Africa
(Rough Guide 25s) by Rough Guides |
| The
Rough Guide to West Africa by Richard Trillo |
| Fodor's
African Safari, 1st Edition: From Budget to Big Spending Where and How to Find the Best Big Game Adventure In Southern and Eastern Africa by
Fodor's |
| Africa:
A Biography of the Continent by John Reader |
| History
of Africa by Kevin Shillington |
| Africa:
A Modern History by Guy Arnold |
| The
Trouble with Africa: Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working by
Robert Calderisi |
| Fate
of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence by
Martin Meredith |
| Africa
Unchained: The Blueprint for Africa's Future by
George B.N. Ayittey |
| Africa
Overland: 4x4-Motorbike-Bicycle-Truck by Sian
Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons. |
| Travel Information for Africa |
About.com, in its Travel Section, provides useful articles, links and travel information for a large number of countries, with a section on Africa Travel, including travel information for many African countries.
AfricaTrotter, www.africatrotter.com, provides useful links and resources for travelers to Africa, with sections on a number of African countries.
Lonely Planet Worldguide, www.lonelyplanet.com, provides a lot of useful travel information about Africa in its Explore Africa section, including most countries in Africa.
Naturally Africa Dot Org, www.naturallyafrica.org, provides travel information about African countries.
Rough Guides Destinations, travel.roughguides.com, offer a lot of useful travel advice and information for most countries, with a section on Africa, including several African countries.
WorldTravelGuide.net, worldtravelguide.net, provides general travel information for destinations worldwide, with a section on Africa, including most African countries.
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