10 Things to reconsider Before Relocating Or spirited to Africa
1. Africa is a big and diverse continent with 53 countries and an estimated 2000 languages. And contrary to what you often read or hear, it is not one country nor are all Africans the same. Therefore, any effort to stereotype the infrastructure of the countries, the political stability or lack thereof, the level or absence of sophistication, is bound to be inaccurate and will succeed in inappropriate preparation and failed relocation. Take Cameroon for instance, it has over 250 languages and has a geographical landscape it proudly calls mini Africa with mountains, a rain forest savannas and a desert to boot! Furthermore, the magnitude of diversity found in the middle of countries is often replicated within individual countries along a rural versus urban divide and among ethnic groups with distinct languages, cultures and aspirations. As a result, your relocation to any African country or city is likely to succeed if you set aside these stereotypes and survey a country profile instead. Some good ones can be found on the Us State country profiles; country briefs at culturegrams.com; the Bbc country profiles; the Un country profiles or the African expatblog site- all of which can facilitate your comprehension of these countries and help you gain an appreciation for what makes the country you are relocating to, distinct and special.
2. Learning about the particulars of the country you are relocating to will assist you in good planning your move and relocation. This advice is a direct outcome of advice #1. Whereas in some countries - such as South Africa and most northern African countries, you would have first world amenities, in others you would have to determined plan your packing list - along with what to take with you and what to leave behind. Some items to consider, for example are either you should ship your car or buy one locally? How easy is it to clear customs once the car arrives at destination? The more contemporary the country, the more you should consider purchasing a car locally. However, if you are relocating to say, Mali, Niger or Rwanda, you are good off shipping a car and while you are at it, if you are provocative with children, you should add consumables such as your beloved laundry to get out those stubborn mango stains, your children toys, adored cereals and foods as the price of many imported consumables can fast deplete your salary!
3. Schools- instruction is an area you should give serious notice to as you plan your relocation to Africa. While you are sure to find an international school in all 53 countries, the scope and ability of the instruction will vary greatly. In general, these international schools offer solid International baccalaureate or the Uk normal Certificate of Secondary instruction (Gcse) types of education. Many kids who have attended these schools have gone to attend top schools in the Us, the Uk and France or elsewhere. And while, you are ensured of a solid instruction with kids below middle school age, you need to be more careful with older kids since in many of these countries, the upper levels have very small enrollments often with mix age classes that fail to offer the scope and depth that you will be finding for. In such instances, your children are likely to graduate without having taken all the required courses -including history and art classes (for Us high schools) or benefited from extracurricular activities. Consequently, your children could contact some adjustment issues once you repatriate or move to a country with larger schools. One final note on schools; if you have children with Learning disabilities, you should be aware that most of the schools won't be able to adapt their Learning needs.
4. Protection and security. This issue is often overblown in the mind of whatever seeking to relocate to Africa since the continent (again stereotypically) tends to be seen as a place ripe with conflicts. As I write this, there are only two active wars on the continent- Sudan and Somalia. In half a dozen other locations, there are active rebellions that have largely operated exterior of the capital cities. The decrease in amount of conflicts is a huge enlarge compared to 15 years ago when open wars raged in Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, the Central African Republic, Chad and Ivory Coast. Unfortunately, most population remember the old warring Africa. Having said this, one should remember that just as anywhere else, you will need an awareness of your Protection and security. The best advent is to get a Protection briefing from your firm or a excellent Protection department so that you would know what behaviors not to display and which areas to avoid. I all the time believe that behaviors are an area that we often overlook. Thus, how, you dress, how you walk, deal with your property, talk can be as much crime triggering as behaviors as where you go and with whom you associate. Finally, as most population who have lived overseas will tell you, your biggest danger is not going to be caught in ethnic strife; rather, your biggest Protection risk it is more likely to be from the danger of driving on the roads. Indeed, more expatriates die from traffic accidents than from malaria and any of the bloody wars that have been waged on the continent. As a precaution, you should avoid driving at night!
5. Register at your embassy. Once you relocate and arrive in country, you should register at your embassy. Why? If ever you need to be rescued or flown out of the country out of harms way, your embassy would be your best retain line and advocate. This is particularly true if you are a population of world power or any of the countries that have traditionally held sway in Africa (Usa, Uk, France). These countries have shown that they would not spare resources to extricate the last one of their citizens should they be caught in a war. But, even if your country is not a wealthy one, it is all the time a good idea to register with your embassy. It costs you nothing and also it could be your marker to a home country dinner which are typically served when your country celebrates its independence Day. Once you register at your embassy, ask to speak to the community liaison staff. They are good resources and once you are on the embassy mailing list you will be informed of all events at your embassy. It is a good way to be connected to the expat community and there is no obligation.
6. Spousal employment. This is the biggest elephant in the room when relocating to Africa. Whereas, the original expatriate assignment has historically focused on the main earnings earner vocation and expert development, this is no longer the case as relocation increasingly involves dual vocation assignees. So, for the relocation and the assignment to succeed, couples need to look at countries that hold the most possible for dual vocation possibilities. Obviously, the more technologically advanced the country, the more likely it is that one's spouse or partner will find a job or even be able to telecommute. That logically would put countries such as South Africa, Kenya and Egypt on top of the list until you research their work permit situations and learn that your spouse would face severe hurdles trying to acquire a work permit in South Africa as an example. The lesson, here, is to research both the job store and the work permit limitations before according to relocate to a given country.
7. provocative to Africa for an assignment can be fun, a great life Learning contact and financially advantageous too. Indeed, the aforementioned warnings are not meant to take away from the fact that an assignment in Africa holds the possible to be both fun and a great Learning experience. For this, you need to take time to immerse yourself in the local culture to heighten your ability to understand and appreciate your cultural surroundings- the sounds, smells, but most importantly, the aspirations and the motivations of the population around you. Make friends not only in the expat community but also and most importantly, with the nationals. Attend local celebrations; volunteer with a local Ngo or church. Sure, there could be undue expectations settled on you because of who you are- but these are in fact managed from the beginning.
8. Culture - what makes Africa a vibrant and unique place is that culture is alive anywhere you look. From the way population dress, walk, talk and work. It is also true that you are going to interact with many Africans who are going to be more similar to you than you ever would have imagined. Many Africans have graduated from the same schools you attended in France, the Uk, Usa, Canada and even from the universite Patrice Lumumba in Russia! As you strive to heighten your ability to understand your local friends, please remember that this will also take time. However, comprehension and devising ways to address these cultural challenges will make your relocation more enjoyable and successful
9. Health- nowhere is the diversity of the continent described in point #1 as clear as in the condition treatment and care available on the continent. Whereas you can have a heart surgical operation in South Africa or get cosmetic surgical operation in a country like Tunisia, you could as well in fact die from a non detected malaria, hepatitis or meningitis in many other countries where the condition care system is not as developed. For some treatments that would be determined routines in the advanced world, you would need a curative evacuation. So, what is one to do? Well, to begin with, if curative care is a priority for you, the countries that serve as evacuation points, because they have advanced curative care facilities and doctors should be on your list of adored relocation posts. They consist of South Africa, most North African countries (Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia), Senegal, Kenya and Mauritius. If you are provocative or relocating to the other countries, you should bring all needed prescriptions with you and keep in touch with your home country doctor. An irony of this is that in places where the condition care system is good (as in the countries cited above), curative interventions or procedures will cost you much less than in your country of origin - except of course, if you are from Cuba, China or Russia! Finally, as soon as you arrive in your country, I would propose you seek to recognize clinics that cater to expatriates. Your local embassy or firm should be able to help with this research. Still, in some countries, a Un condition town might expand aid to other expatriates for a fee.
10. Educate those you are leaving behind. Because of the many stereotypes - most of which I have tried to debunk in this posting, one of the best actions expatriate can take is to educate those they have left behind about the diversity and richness of Africa. Reassure them that relocating or provocative to Africa is not tantamount to being fed to the lions or voodoo witches! Send more than a safari picture home. When they visit, take them to visit the local friends you have made- not just expats and the game parks! In doing so, you would have served a noble purpose, one of an ambassador who endeavors to turn the perception that many population who have not visited Africa still hold of the continent. If Africans are to be well perceived, if investments are to increase on the continent, if it is to be victorious in exporting its products, and if it has to take its rightful place on the world stage, its story must be told by her children and expatriates alike. After all, most of the convincing about the good news about Africa remains to be done within constituencies of the expatriate communities.
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