How to Live and Work in Africa

A Growing Continent with Opportunities to Expatriate

By Volker Poelzl

Living in Cape Town, South Africa is one great option. Photo by Lies Ouwerkerk.

Africa is still largely overlooked by would-be expatriates searching for a better place to live, even though there are more and more enticing possibilities as many parts of the continent grow more wealthy and modern. But there are certainly pros and cons. The perception of the continent’s many economic, social, and political problems discourages some foreigners from considering Africa as a destination to work, study, volunteer, or retire. Africans leave their home countries in large numbers in search of a better life abroad, and there is a small but ever-increasing number of foreigners who come to live in this still underdeveloped continent that is growing economically at a very rapid pace. Most news reports we hear about Africa relate to war, poverty, political instability, economic problems, the ongoing AIDS crisis, and recently, the global pandemic of COVID-19. Still, there is so much more the continent has to offer visitors and expatriates alike.

We need to hear more that Africa has a lot to offer expatriates willing to take a chance and venture into the unknown. Africa is a vastly diverse continent with great natural beauty and various cultural traditions. It is also a continent with many needs, where foreigners can make a real difference by working or volunteering in one of the many underdeveloped and impoverished regions. I have outlined different ways foreigners can positively contribute to Africa's development, even as they enjoy the incredible variety of cultures and subcultures.

Working in Africa

Despite social and economic problems in parts of Africa, there are many employment and career opportunities for adventurous expatriates who do not mind the challenge of living in a country with a vastly different culture. Many foreigners who live and work in Africa are professionals transferred by multinational companies involved in oil/gas exploration or mining. Many others work for international NGOs in health services and conservation.

Many foreigners who live and work in Africa are professionals transferred by multinational companies involved in oil/gas exploration or mining. Many others work for international NGOs in health services and conservation. There is an ongoing brain drain from Africa as young, educated Africans increasingly seek their luck elsewhere. This has created a demand for skilled professionals in many fields, such as engineering, teaching, health care, and information technology. In addition to providing incentives for native Africans to return and put their skills to use in their home countries, several African governments have created incentives for foreign professionals to come from outside Africa. South Africa, for example, has a scarce skills work permit with a quota system for a large number of professional groups, among them teachers, physicians, and engineers, which allows foreign professionals to obtain work permits. South Africa is by far Africa's most developed country, with a solid and diversified economy based on mining, manufacturing, and financial services — making it the most popular African destination for foreign professionals and expatriates, many of whom are from the U.K. Job boards for Africa such as Careers in Africa post many opportunities for professionals in all fields. For information about short-term job opportunities in Africa, check out our Short-Term Jobs in Africa, and Teaching English in Africa sections.

Internships in Africa

In addition to professional jobs, many organizations and companies offer internships in Africa in various fields. Many positions are with health care, social services, and conservation NGOs. For information on internships in Africa, see our Internships in Africa section. The U.S. government is firmly committed to providing aid to African countries, and there are many internship positions available with USAID and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), only to mention a few.

Volunteer Work in Africa

Volunteering is a great way to spend an extended period of time in Africa and get to know the local culture and people, but it is also a very challenging experience. Many volunteer positions are in remote areas, where the standard of living could be higher, and even the most common amenities still need to be improved. There are countless volunteer opportunities in various fields, from teaching and conservation to health care and HIV/AIDS education. It is relatively easy to obtain a long-stay visa as a volunteer, and many volunteer organizations provide low-cost or free housing to their volunteers. The Peace Corps has a strong presence in Africa, with many volunteer positions in agriculture, forestry, health, teaching, and small business development. For more articles, programs, and resources concerning volunteer work in Africa, check out our Volunteer in Africa section. In particular, see Zahara Heckscher’s piece on Volunteering in Africa: Top Tips and Volunteer Sending Organizations for an overview by an experienced expert.

Retiring in Africa

South Africa is Africa's most attractive retirement destination, with a pleasant climate, low cost of living, great natural beauty, good healthcare, and adequate infrastructure. However, the surge in violent crime over the past decade and civil unrest have discouraged many people from relocating there. South Africa requires retirement funds of about US$ 2,500 per person per month or equivalent investment assets to be eligible for a renewable retirement visa. Several destinations in West Africa are attractive for retirees, such as The Gambia, Ghana, and Cape Verde. These countries offer incredible natural beauty and a pleasant climate, and they are relatively close to Europe, which makes them especially attractive to European retirees. The governments of some Western African countries have introduced several incentives to attract retirees from outside Africa. Ghana, for example, is attracting a growing community of African-American retirees thanks to easy immigration rules.

Challenges of Living in Africa

Africa is rich in natural resources such as oil, ore, minerals, precious stones, and metals. Still, few African countries invest their earnings to improve the quality of life of their citizens. Transportation infrastructure, water, and electricity supplies are unreliable and underdeveloped everywhere outside major urban areas, and poverty and malnutrition are widespread. The Human Development Index (HDI) — an indicator developed by the United Nations Development Program to measure primary human development goals such as infant mortality, life expectancy, literacy, primary education, and GDP — demonstrates that Africa suffers the world's lowest level of development in quality of living. According to the latest HDI figures, most of the world's 30 least-developed countries are in Africa. To give you an idea of the level of development in much of Africa, Haiti, by far the poorest country in the Americas, is still ahead of over 25 Sub-Saharan countries in the United Nation's Human Development Index.

Northern and Southern Africa have a medium level of development and income, but most other countries are impoverished. But even in the wealthier African countries, income distribution remains uneven, with extreme poverty coexisting with enormous wealth. Since one-half of Africa's one billion people live in extreme poverty and given that unemployment is widespread, theft and property crime are common all across the continent. Although South Africa is Africa's wealthiest country, violent crime remains rampant. The high crime rate is one of the main reasons many South Africans emigrate — leaving behind a physically beautiful country.

Healthcare and Expat Health Insurance in Africa

Many countries in Africa have public health issues. Malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS are health threats to Africa's population, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Unfortunately, most nations have severely underdeveloped healthcare systems that are often unable to address the local population's basic needs, let alone expatriates who may be living there. While some nations have excellent private medical clinics catering to expat populations, many expatriates will want to seek medical treatment in Europe or in a private medical hospital in South Africa.

Because many medical facilities in African countries will be unable to service the needs of many expatriates, expats in Africa must obtain an international health insurance plan that will provide both local and global medical coverage and treatment. An optional medical evacuation rider is vital to any expat health plan for people residing in Africa, especially if the local hospitals are not up to Western standards or you are living in a rural setting. It would be best if you also examined the policy to ensure it covers pre-existing medical conditions and provides superior service and support at claim time. Expats should check the policy terms and conditions carefully before purchasing and see which clinics and hospitals are in its global medical network for direct reimbursement of medical claims without paying out of pocket. Expats can obtain quotes for expat health insurance in Africa from independent brokers.

Language Advantages in Africa

Although several local languages are spoken in each African country, English is the official language in many Sub-Saharan countries, primarily due to the British colonial presence until the 1960s. This is an advantage for English-speaking expatriates since it eliminates communication problems. Among the countries where English is recognized as an official language are Botswana, Cameroon, Eritrea, the Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Zambia and Zimbabwe. French is the second-most spoken European language in Africa, mostly in former French colonies in Northern and West Africa.

Volker Poelzl is a Living Abroad Contributing Editor for TransitionsAbroad.com. He has traveled in over 40 countries worldwide and has lived in ten of them for study, research and work.