20 Reasons NOT to Invest In Ghana

edited Tuesday, 31 October 2023

By: TB Obwoge

For some reason people swear Ghana is the Wakanda of their dreams, wealthy people come to settle into a country that is choking it's local citizens. Ghanians are poorly paid with a minimum wage which amounts to $1.04 USD a day.

Investors flock into the country to have cheap, slave labour that is worked most times 6 days a week. Some Ghanians earning as low as $50 USD a month.

#1 The government also provides the worst, poorly funded education I've ever encountered in my living in other countries. A lot of Ghanians can't tell the difference between a Black person or a white person with high amounts of xenophobia. The hate for other Africans is widely practiced.

Their official language is English but most of their words are taught with a different meanings. This causes a lot of confusion when you think you're understanding someone they're really talking about something else.

Those are just a few issues here are 12 major issues you'll run into in Ghana:

#2 Corruption is at 82% in the country, after a review Ghana hasn't changed in the last 2 years. Doing business, living in the country foreigners are targeted everyday, from things as simple as buying food. That is typical for traveling but living in a country long term it can get very annoying and costly.

Being overcharged for living expenses, then cheated every turn from housing, to work visas, even the year of return citizenship is a scam. Only 120 out of the first 200 received their citizenship some said they've been asked for more money and told to come back to the country 3 times within the last 2 years.

#3 IMF Loan - Since Ghana's taken it's 18th some people claim it's their 19th IMF loan the government is over taxing everything and everyone. It's not worth it. Taxes on items plus custom fees and corruption. Some buisness owners are leaving Ghana.

SIDE NOTE: Ghana claims to have outlawed several things like skin bleaching and polygamy, yet they don't enforce anything. Skin bleaching products can be ordered online and shipped directly to your home. Adverts can be seen all over the country. Men will target single foreigners while married to more than one Ghanian woman. They always cry poor yet pay their women to date them while collecting money from foreign women.

Many atrocities take place in the country which attacks journalists for reporting on issues. Some journalists have been jailed a few killed by "thieves."

#4 Poor roads and horrible infrastructure outside of Accra, Kumasi and Takorodi.

Table 1: Ghana's road network statistics (2017-2021) Descriptor 2017 Projected 2021* Network size 78,402km 94.203km* Trunk 14,583km 14.948km Length of network by road class Feeder 48.357km 50.775km Urban 15,462km 28.480km Percentage Paved 23% 27%* Percentage Unpaved 77% 73%* Road Condition Mix Good Fair Poor 39% 44%*

Source: Ghana Lands Minister

Even as recent as 2023 the lands minister claims 73% of the roads are unpaved or in serious need of repair.

#5 Xenophobia and Anti-Blackness as well as racism against you if they THINK you're a white person. There is a large Lebanese community in Ghana, Ghanians will accuse them of racism which may be true.

However the Lebanese some born and raised in Ghana for generations are met with the same hatred. Despite being citizens some will never be given a chance to hold political offices, some are told often to "Go back to where you came from!" Ghana's government has done nothing to stop this behavior, there are no laws or bills enacted to stop xenophobia.

#6 Housing discrimination is widely done out in the open without any issues. Unlike most countries there is no one to report these issues to. When Ghanians immigrate to western countries and face racism they complain and can easily file law suits. Foreigners can't do this in Ghana causing many to live isolated from Ghanians.

Often times you won't see the many foreigners in much of Accra even, as they stay in their sheltered groups. This will happen to you even if you're Black as many Ghanians don't consider you Black if your skin is too light for them.

#7 Colorism and colorists, people will hate you if you're too light skin and Black, some will target you. There is no telling, some Ghanian women are prone to be evil towards lighter skin foreigners it has happened to many light skin Black Americans. Some people claim to be treated better but this isn't the case as I've travled the entire country.

Note there are some that are hateful towards Americans race doesn't matter.

You will be targeted as being wealthy, there will be many who have no concern for your life because of it. Crimes happens often, it's under-reported and rarely prosecuted, there is no system of 911 they way you would think it should be in western or European countries. Even other African countries have more law and order.

Corruption, scamming and the economic outlook in Ghana are the largest reasons. People who are foreigners who live in Ghana can’t afford to be scammed on a daily basis when living in a country for years. Ghana will always consider people foreigners no matter what they feel or think. They are very quick to let you know you’re not one of them.

Source Ghana Expat & Immigration Group

I paid to get elected - Sam George says the average Ghanaian is corrupt

Member of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George has candidly said he paid his way through to be elected.

Speaking on JoyTV's personality profile, the lawmaker mentioned that the average Ghanaian citizen is corrupt, in his submissions he said many laments about the corrupt nature of politicians forgetting that they also fuel the act.

Source: Pulse News Ghana

Carolina Cah

I relocated to Ghana but I kid you not. Living here is not easy when almost everyone you require services from wants to cheat you first and overprice . The dishonesty is just too much. And living in a country where prices change overnight is not the easiest. I feel sometimes you need nerves of steel to stay here. Nothing works.

But expats will leave for sure at some point

Source Ghana Expat & Immigration group on Facebook

#8 Human Rights Violations, Street children is a big issue, street begging and crime as well. You must know you can't drive with passengers on their phone while having windows down, people will snatch your phone. In Ghana where you use your phone for money that is a very traumatic experience, you have to suspend your SIM card and replace it as soon as possible.

Again there is not much ever done about this crime, which is very costly. Ghana's anti-gay bill is nonsense and punishes people who aren't even gay. Ghanians have beatern up others who "looked gay" an outsider landing in Ghana, several men (most to me) appeared very effeminate to me.

I was surprised to see so many men with long nails, walking the way they do and wearing jewels on their shoes which they call slippers. Very odd to an outsider and they're not slipper, they are flip flops.

#9 RAPE & Rape CULTURE in Ghana is also an issue, men see nothing wrong with touching women without cause in private areas on your body. Rape is a costly crime to report as you the victims are charged to report the rape. The fees are more than the average Ghanian makes within 1 months time.

Khalilah Ali

Nyonato Elom Richard the scamming, although job relocation is why I am leaving, would make me relocate any way. It is excessive.

From Facebook Expat & Immigration Group

They claim the rape fees have stopped this isn't true as 2 girls defiled by their uncle last month were charged 1000 cedis. Last month was January of 2023.

Kozák Orsolya

Because Ghána got to be horrible expensive. It was never easy to live here..

Source Ghana Expat & Immigration group

#10 Government refusal to invest in educational buildings and other government buildings outside of the capital (Accra). Sadly where people are poorly educated they behave badly, this has been seen all over the world. Also when they have poor facilities it's difficult to learn and to respect your country.

The United States of America has some of the worst education in the southern states which shows as they constantly engage in electing the same toxic politicians and behave badly. This is no different in Ghana, from street harassment, calling their own 'darkie and blackie' to outright insulting you if you're fat.

Customer service in some of the worst in the country but people often apologize as much as possible. Even though you can wait for more than an hour for your food which will be cold by the time it reaches you.

#11 Freedom of speech and of journalism in widely being attacked in Ghana.

Ghanaian press spotlights onslaught on media freedom, free speech by government, others

The Graphic reports that opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, has asked President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to reverse what it says is the calculated onslaught on media freedom and free speech by the government.

According to the NDC in a statement it released on Friday following the arrest of Kwabena Bobie Ansah of Accra FM, “the past few weeks have seen a dramatic upsurge in the criminalization of free speech as well as unbridled attack on the journalism profession.”

Police accuse Bobie of publishing false news and offensive conduct, which he denies. He has been granted GH50,000 bail following his arrest late Thursday night.

The NDC says there has been a “sharp deterioration in the expression of the right to free speech under the Presidency of a personality whose claim to fame as a human rights activist, was his work on the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law when he was an Attorney General. Recent events however, exposes duplicity and hypocrisy of Mr. Akufo Addo.

President Akufo-Addo Must end the Attack on Free Expression Now

Source: APANews

#12 Air pollution and air quality decline in recent year within Ghana's capital city Accra. From burning trash to untreated trash dumps within the country the air quality is very poor. The country takes in too much used clothing which is not regulated, most of the clothing ending up in land fills.

Ghanians will try to burn the clothing which is made of synthetic fabrics that are harmful if breathed into the lungs.

#13 Instability in many areas of the country which journalists aren't allowed to report on.

#14 Immigration and police harassment & Bribery if you look different, immigration officers claim their told to stop anyone that looks like a foreigner. They do this mostly to white or light skin people, Arabs and Asians only. You can't and should never carry your passport everyday when in another country.

#15 NOTE Financial institutions have banned Ghana and refuse to operate within the country, PayPal, CashApp, Western Union limits transactions, some others refuse to work within Ghana. My credit card was used but never taken from my hand ever, some how it was cloned and someone tried to order hundreds of dollars of electronics. My bank would not mail a new card to Ghana (Capital One)

#16 Health Care is terrible, no medical system ambulances that won't go to every ares of the country or city. Being asked for money because you're a foreigner while someone might be dying.

#17 No parks or playgrounds for your children. Just dusty roads, play areas in malls that charge money. Beaches are filthy unless you pay to go to a private beach and some of them are still filthy.

#18 Expensive education costs just for a basic education, very costly. Children can't play unless you find places which charge a fee, Ghanian children have nothing for them set in place, no parks, no where to go or play,

#19 The Noise Pollution- it's enough to drive anyone insane, as a matter of fact a study was done on the capital city of Accra. Here. you can read about that below.

#20 There are pockets of tribal fighting in areas of Ghana, where citizens have been murdered. If you are like me and want to travel around the country, they claim it's safe and peaceful but this isn't true. If you meet someone who is honest in the armed forces you can learn a lot.

This is why reporters are jailed they are not allowed to report on this. Also Ghana is the only country I've lived in where they threaten your life if you talk bad about it. They will stalk you even Black Americans on social media, it' s a very weird country.

Thank you for reading 🙏🏽 Please consider buying a coffee for Lacey's House efforts in Gender Equality & Children's Rights as it tries to move international.

©️TB Obwoge 2023 All Rights Reserved