Why More Americans Are Moving to Africa

Living as an American in Africa is, in many ways, preferable to living as an African in Africa. This is something many Americans may not practically understand. We are from a country where immigrants tend to have a lower, not higher, social standing.

THE UNITED STATES VS. IMMIGRANTS

You see the way that ICE, i.e. U.S. immigration and law enforcement officials, are harassing immigrants these days. That includes those who are in the States illegally and legally alike.

What’s currently transpiring, under the second term of Donald Trump, is extreme. And as Americans, we know that the system has always had issues with immigrants. In fact, the standard of harassing them basically dates back centuries.

The argument tends to be something like migrants to America come over poor and potentially end up being burdens on the system. They may take jobs that can rather go to unemployed citizens. And it’s true that quite a few of them may be or become criminals. As for jobs, U.S. immigrants often take those, like agriculture and house help, that actual citizens may not want. But anyway, the point being made is that yes, immigrants are looked down upon stateside. And that’s largely because they tend to poorer or more vulnerable than the average citizen.

AFRICA IS ACCOMMODATING TO AMERICANS

But the opposite is true when it comes to Americans moving to most parts of Africa. The overwhelming majority aren’t compelled to commit crimes, as they have no practical need to do so. The jobs they are offered or qualified for are usually superior, i.e. better paying and more prestigious, than those available to the locals.

THE SUPREMACY OF THE U.S. DOLLAR

This may in part be due to the educational and work experience we already garnered in the States. For example, American universities tend to be more respected than those you find in Africa. But there are other benefits to an African business employing an American.

For instance, an American may be able to grant the business or its employees, including the boss, more exposure stateside. And to help put that into perspective, keep in mind that the U.S. is richer than many, if not most African nations combined.

Virtually all of the advantages of being an American in African are somehow related to money. The amount of money you spend on mortgage or rent stateside for a single month can often rent you a comparable place in Africa for an entire year. The cost of living in Africa is exponentially less. The caveat is that it’s also much harder to make money in the Motherland. But as an American, you can bring dollars over instead of working for them locally. And hopefully, you’ll be able to invest or flip those dollars in such a way that your income will remain higher than the average resident.

And even when it comes to the cultural superiority of the United States, those envies are largely based on money. There tends to be certain American celebrities who every African knows. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, Michael Jordan, Tupac and even Donald Trump. All of those figures are associated with money.

As generally understood, American celebrities are filthy rich. American rappers tend to be popular in Africa. Well, the shtick of those performing artists is largely based on illusions of wealth. And that perception is something that all Americans in Africa benefit from, in a manner of speaking.

CULTURAL ADVANTAGES OF BEING AN AMERICAN IN AFRICA

You may meet a lady who for instance is surprisingly receptive to your advances. But it may not be that she’s feeling you as much as being infatuated with Usher or Brad Pitt or some other American celebrity. Those guys are actually toiling to the benefit of all Americans.

I forget how they call it in scholastic circles, but the United States has something like a media dominance over the world – so profound that it’s considered to be akin to a military advantage. That includes in places like Africa.

People liking or wanting to get close to you can often be used as an advantage, though it can also be irritating at times. Their expectations may sometimes be unrealistic. As an American in Africa, it’s common for people to befriend you not always for direct monetary gain but in hopes of you helping them get to the States. And often, when they realize you cannot or will not give them what they want, things can go south.

But still, having some social advantage is better than having none. And this is beneficial not only in the field of romance but employment, etc. There are definitely cultural differences between Americans and Africans, and you will feel them upon moving over here. But even within Africa, the former has the advantage so to speak.

THE EUROPEAN ILLUSION

These days, an increasing number of Americans are expatriating… to Western Europe. You may occasionally come across content that presents this or that European locality as even being a cost-effective place for Americans to move to. But a lot of those reports are exaggerated, or certain important details are concealed.

For instance it isn’t particularly ideal, especially upon first moving to a new country, to go to a remote location. That’s regardless of how inexpensive the housing may be. When you factor in transportation, etc., living comfortably there can be more expensive than staying in the city. Meanwhile, a lot of those aforementioned reports are based in distant towns or villages.

Another reason living in the city is better upon first landing is because that grants you a better opportunity to acclimate. Upon initially moving to a foreign country, you wouldn’t want to be totally removed from the things you’re familiar with. So most of the Americans you hear of moving to Europe are already pretty well off stateside. In other words, the cost of living in (Western) Europe is similar to that in the States. So they often move over there more for social rather than financial reasons per se.

IS THE BEST COUNTRY TO MOVE THE MOST EXPENSIVE?

When compiling those lists of ‘best countries for Americans to move to’, writers tend to focus on countries that are like the United States, affordability be damned. The presumption is that the more the destination is similar to the U.S., the better. And not only do they de-factor affordability but also the fact that many expatriates are looking for something vastly different than what’s in their homelands.

For instance, you may find Singapore at or near the top of many of those lists. But the cost of living in Singapore is actually higher than it is in the States. Meanwhile, many American expatriates, like retirees, want to leave the U.S. due to the already unbearable cost of living. That’s a common complaint amongst the expatriate community. Under those circumstances, why move to a country that’s similar or more expensive?

AFRICA WAY MORE AFFORDABLE THAN THE U.S.

Those types of issues don’t exist when expatriating to Africa. In other words, Africa tends to be noticeably cheaper than the United States across the board, even in capital cities.

I don’t want to sugarcoat things too much. If you actually live in Africa, you’ll likely become increasingly dependent on a local income as time progresses. That is, unless you have adequate funds regularly coming in from the States. And once that begins happening, once you start getting paid in local currency instead US dollars, you’ll inevitably feel the burn.

But as I write this for instance, I’m staying in Ghana, in an upscale one-bedroom apartment, utilities included, which costs roughly $400 a month. The rent is even inflated due to it being a short-term lease. If I rather rented a place like this long term, I’m presuming it would cost, at most, about $150 a month, utilities not included.

Meanwhile, $400 isn’t even likely to get a single room in the States – or Western Europe for that matter. And ultimately, that’s the advantage of moving to Africa as an American, i.e. you having more access to U.S. Dollars.

CONCLUSION

Yes, you can definitely stay in Africa as an American. There are certain things you would have to get used to, such as the lack of development. But the name of the game is first of all, coming over with enough dollars to set yourself up comfortably. Part of those funds should be dedicated to establishing a means to set up or maintain an adequate income.

Even though the cost of living is cheaper in Africa, as an American you’re likely going to consume more than the average African. And if your money runs out, you’ll quickly understand why the locals are, unlike you, running from this part of the world. It’s all good if you have monthly checks, of an ample sum, coming in from the States. If not, then establish yourself expeditiously before the money you do bring over runs out. No matter how many dollars you bring to Africa, chances are they will eventually be spent, unless you’re able to flip it or otherwise make money.