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Basic FAQs About Ghana

By Peter Morris

Ghana-pedia's Australian-based co-administrator

Ghana-pedia co-administrator Peter Morris at Achala (Al Hassan) Village in Paga, in the Upper East Region of Ghana.

(February 2008)

Overview

Ghana represents somewhat of an odyssey for many would-be travelers, and indeed, this website has been created to clarify Ghana to the outside World.

While it is true that foreigners identify Ghana with the more high-profile Ghanaians such as Kofi Annan and Michael Essien, Africa certainly remains the most mysterious of continents on the planet, and as Ghana is one of the leading West African countries, foreigners often only know what they have read in travel guides, gleaned from internet sources, and seen intermitently on local television.

Generalizing, much of what non-Africans know about Africa is based on what is written in periodicals and on television & movies, much of which is only reported when a negative incident occurs, and therefore does little to explain the real Africa, and in turn, the real Ghana.

At a stretch, the average person may know that is was formerly known as The Gold Coast prior to 1957, that the country is a major supplier of the World's cocoa, and also has large deposits of gold, and to a lesser degree, diamonds. Some may have heard of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who was one of the pioneers of the pan-African movement, and who became the first Head of State of post-colonial Ghana.

Therefore, I have decided to create this page to cater for questions about Ghana that a foreigner may ask, no matter how daft or ignorant these questions might seem.

FAQs – Your Questions Answered

Question: Where exactly is Ghana, and what is the capital city ?

 A map of West Africa, showing Ghana's position, centrally located along the Gulf Of Guinea, with neighbouring countries - Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo.

Answer : Ghana is located in West Africa, pretty much centrally located along the Gulf of Guinea, between Côte d'Ivoire & Togo. The capital is Accra (pronounced Ah-kraah), and is also found along the coastline of the Gulf Of Guinea.

Question: What is the official language of Ghana ?

Answer : English is the official language of Ghana, although most Ghanaians are multilingual, speaking both English, and the native language, Akan. However, Akan is broken into several sub-languages. An example of this is the local dialect in Accra, known as Twi (pronounced Chree).

A typical Ghana roadsign in the Airport Residential district of Accra. Nearly all signage is in English, with the exception of signs in locations that are close to the border's of Ghana's Francophone neighbours.

(February 2008)

Akan is often spoken amongst Ghanaians, or at least a hybrid mix of Akan & English. However, just because Ghanaians may speak English like you do, some accents of English are tough to negotiate, and some terminologies might be totally unfamiliar between a citizen of Ghana and a citizen of another English-speaking country.

When I first arrived in Ghana, I often had to repeat myself, because locals were not used to the Australian accent. I found out later from Eli, the co-administrator of Ghana-pedia, that during my first visit to Ghana, his wife took half of my trip just to get used to my accent. Part of this may have been because Australians are a less common visitor to Ghana than English-speakers from America or Britain, but it is evident to me that sometimes the relatively unanimated but rough Australian accent does cause some communication issues.

While I didn't find it quite so difficult, sometimes in the initial stages, admittedly, the Ghanaian accent did get the better of me. Visitors need to take into account that certain terms you might use in your country may not be known to Ghanaians, and vice-versa, so some patience will need to be shown while you work it out.

For visitors to Ghana who don't speak English, apart from French, which is spoken amongst all the neighbouring West African countries, and Akan, there are few provisions out there for you. I do not recall seeing one tourist pamphlet or sign that was written in Japanese or Spanish, for example, and it would probably pay to learn some basic English phrases to see you through.

Answer : Ghana is largely powered by the Akosombo Dam, a hydro-electric dam which is powered from the largest man-made lake in the World, Lake Volta. While this does not generally stretch to the more remote villages, the cities and major towns all enjoy a reasonably reliable electircal supply. While on occasion, electrical supply is rationed, and rolling blackouts do occur, shortages are becoming less common.

The large diesel generator outside of Frankies in the Osu district of Accra. Despite fewer and fewer interuptions to Ghana's power supply, power failures & rolling blackouts do still occur, and businesses & even private homes often have a backup generator.

(February 2008)

Many major complexes and locations have an alternate power source, such as a generator or solar power, which provides a virtually uninterupted supply, however, private homes largely rely solely on the power generated from Akosombo Dam. However, for private users, the rising costs of electricity is a strong concern for the average Ghanaian.

Water is rationed in private homes in some areas, with allocations generally supplied weekly. Other areas rely on private tanks that are filled by purchasing water via water trucks, and do not have piped water. Remote villages generally do not have tap water, and rely on wells or bore water.

Question: What is the transport system like, and is it reliable ?

Answer: Most people, and to some degree, even travellers, who do not have access to privately-arranged trasnportation, use a tro-tro or taxi to travel around.

Tro-tros are generally a commercial van that has been modified with bench seats to accommodate a dozen or so passengers more than the standard seats that were originally fitted in the vehicle. Two people generally operate the tro-tro - the driver & driver's mate. These form a deregulated public transport system, and to travel by tro-tro is relatively cheap.

For example, I travelled from Accra to Cape Coast in January 2007 for just 30,000 Cedis (now 3Gh¢  since the redenomination into the new Ghana Cedi). To travel from the Osu district in central Accra, to the Nungua district in eastern Accra is typically around 60Ghp (referring to a Ghana Pesawa, the sub-unit of the Cedi).

Tro-tros have designated stops along their route where passenger board or alight. When a tro-tro is not full, it is a very common thing to hear the gutteral cry from the driver's mate of the destination as the vehicle is pulling up at a tro-tro stop (I just don't feel like myself unless I've heard 'KRAH-'KRAH-'KRAH recently !).

Tro-tros are the most economical & common way to travel between cities if you do not have private transport. I used the method to travel from Tamale to Bolgatanga in early 2008, and probably the only annoying thing was that I had to wait until all the seats in the tro-tro were sold so that the journey could begin, and it meant waiting in Tamale's tro-tro stop for nearly two hours. It is also not a terribly comfortable journey for a long haul, as space in a tro-tro is at a premium.

 Taxis are probably more commonly used by tourists, because although compared to a tro-tro they might be considered an expensive way to travel, they are relatively cheap in comparison to what you generally pay in a Western country. The fare is negotiated with the driver, rather than being a metered system. An example of a fare might be from Tetteh Quarshie Circle in northern Accra, to Sakumono junction, which might be negotiated for 5Gh¢, or perhaps 7Gh¢ at peak hour.

However, if you are picked out as a foreigner (see my picture at the top of this page), you might get quoted a "ridiculous" price to begin with (ie, 10Gh¢  & 12Gh¢  for this same trip are often initially quoted for me), you need to use your negotiation skills, and be prepared to walk away if you think it's not a reasonable price. It also helps if you learn some Ghana-speak, so you don't appear a 'green' tourist - saying something like Oh Charlie, ten is too much koraah* might make your fare dramatically cheaper.

(*koraah = 'at all', and is often attached to a sentence like this, to give it a negative connotation, similar in the "King's English" as saying I'm not paying this at all)

 Ghana also has a government transport system, a local bus service run by the Motor Transport Authority (MTA). Orange or yellow buses run on regular routes through some parts of Accra and Kumasi. These are generally even cheaper than a tro-tro (in my only experience using the MTA service, Tetteh Quarshie Circle to Kwame Nkrumah Circle was an incredibly cheap 10Ghp), but the timetable often has too few buses running to make it a method of transport to be relied upon regularly.

One of Accra's MTA public buses at a stop at Tetteh Quarshie Circle.

(February 2008)

Between towns & cities, the Intercity-STC coach service is reasonably good, and provides a direct route to many major destinations. Many of the coaches are relatively new, and often have toilet facilities and air-conditioning. While I've not indulged, I've read in the essential Bradt: Ghana travel guide that the Intercity-STC service from Accra to Kumasi runs a dozen times a day, with rates of around 10Gh¢ for a one-way trip.

The more expensive way to travel between several of Ghana's main cities is via the domestic airlines. Two major airlines, CiTylink & Antrak Air operate passenger routes between their hub at Kotoka International Airport in Accra, and Kumasi, Takoradi, Sunyani, and Tamale. I have flown twice from Accra to Tamale (return), and while by air, the travel time is slashed to around one hour each way, the cost is in the vicinity of $350us. On both occassions, I've decided to trade money for the time spent in travelling, but many people would probably elect the more cost-effective road routes.

There is also a rail network between Accra, Takoradi, and Kumasi. I have not used it myself, but it does provide another alternative to road & air routes.

Question: Are internet facilities available ?

Answer : Basically, in every major city or town, and even in some of the smaller towns - the internet craze has definitely caught on in Ghana, and while many people are still not private users, access is available from local internet cafes at very cheap prices. Broadband has become relatively common here, although dial-up is probably more common amongst private users, and outside of the Greater Accra Region, and in Kumasi.

Question: What is the food like, and are there varieties available, just in case I don't like or don't want to eat Ghanaian dishes ?

Answer : Ghanaian dishes generally revolve around rice, stews made from various meats, and seafood dishes. If this does meet your tastes, don't worry - restaurants and chop bars often include a variety of dishes common to westerners, and there are also a large contingent of Chinese, Italian, French, and even Middle Eastern restaurants ranging from budget to upmarket. Amongst the most well-known meals known to western travelers are 'staples' such as pizza, hamburgers, and khebabs, which are  in eateries throughout Ghana.

We have developed a separate webpage on this topic for those people interested in the various restaurants & eateries in Accra - The Greater Accra Restaurant Guide.

Question: Is Ghana politically stable ?

Answer : Politically, Ghana is doing quite well. The government is elected, and there seems to be very little serious indication of any major unrest. Occasional regional flare-ups do occur, but if you check for any travel warnings listed for Ghana by your home country's foreign affairs department. Strictly speaking, even during an election period, there is no major issues for tourist to be concerned about, although on the day the election result is to be announced, nervous officials tend to want to lock down central Accra.

An political billboard for the then-candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ticket at Ghana's 2008 Presidential Election, Nana Akufo-Addo, who went on the win the nomination, but lost the Presidential election to a former Vice-President, John Atta Mills, who was successful on his third attempt.

(February 2008)

The last successful coup in Ghana occured in 1981, and the coup leader, Jerry Rawlings, suspended all civil rule for 10 years due to the disastrous political situation the country had been led into in the 1970s. Rawlings had previously held a successful coup in June 1979, replacing the existing military junta with his own, which handed back control to a civilian government in September of that year. Unfortunately, the return to civilian rule under Hilla Limann was not successful, and Rawlings staged another successful coup which deposed Limann, this time installing himself as dictator, and imposing a ten year moratorium on the constitution.  In 1992, the first Presidential elections were held in more than a decade, and as a candidate for President, Rawlings was subsequently voted into office as an elected President for two successive terms, from 1992-2000, and left office at the end of his second term (as required under the constitution). The previous President, John A. Kufuor, was the candidate for the New Patriotic Party in the 1996 Presidential Election, when he was defeated by Rawlings. He ran again in the 2000 Presidential Elections, defeating Rawlings' former Vice-President, John Atta Mills. Kufuor served as elected President from 2001, winning a second successive term in the 2004 Presidential Elections. He ended his second term on the 6th of January 2009.

The following day saw the swearing in of the victor of the protracted 2008 Presidential Elections, John Atta Mills, whose National Democratic Congress party won a narrow victory against the NPP candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo. Mills' perserverance paid off after two previously-failed campaigns, and questions within his party over whether he could deliver victory on his third campaign. Despite the bitterness between the two parties, which on rare occasions spilled over into relatively minor acts of agression between rival supporters, the transition from the Kufuor administration to the Mills administration was relatively smooth.

Question: As a visitor, is Ghana typically a safe place to visit ?

Answer: In regards to personal security, Ghana is a reasonably safe country, although travelers in any country in the World, even the most 'safest' countries, can be unlucky. Even tourist destination giants like Paris, Rome, and New York City, despite their quite excellent infrastructure and services, have reasonably strong network of petty and even professional criminals. In rare cases, tourists have visited those cities and met with foul play.

Like any country in the World, Ghana does have it's share of petty thieves & pickpockets, so travelers are advised to maintain the elementary procedures they would adopt as a tourist anywhere to protect personal belongings, passports, and of course, money. It is recommended to carry your money & passport in a secure manner.

 Indeed, a lot of Ghana's issues with crime revolve around financial scams & dating scams, which are becoming well-publicized. These are more common to the internet, but you don't have to be in a Ghanaian city for very long before finding suitors who have a variety of schemes or scams that promise all sorts of riches with financing. We remind visitors to Ghana-pedia to treat such offers with extreme caution, and to do some background searches to check the validity of such claims before embarking on any of these ventures.

Cameras can be used, but once again, maintain a basic level of security. More severe attacks on tourists are reasonably rare, but do occur. Once again, we stress that you will be no more or less safe in Ghana, and while you can take options to minimize personal risk, any traveler can be unlucky. As with any tourism destination, it doesn't pay to display large amounts of cash, passports & official documentation, or electronic items of value.

Question: Are there good opportunities for business in Ghana ?

 Answer: Ghana's economy is rating as one of the top five in Africa, although at this time, the global economic crisis has seen the value of Ghana's currency, the Cedi, dwindle in the face of the stronger currencies around the World. Despite this temporary setback, the government is actively seeking foreign investors to assist in developing the country. Of particular interest is the development of tourism & trade.

Among those businesspersons operating in Ghana is a strong contingent of ex-patriots, or Ghanaians of foreign lineage. Included in this group is businesspersons with origins from China, India, Lebanon, South Africa, Great Britain, European Union, and the United States.

Definitely the standout in this group is those of Lebanese origin, whose business savvy has made them influential, and an integral part of Ghana's economy. Their historic knack for trading has seen them develop very successful supermarkets, department stores, restaurants/eateries, filling (petrol/gas) stations, and electronics stores in most of Ghana's regional capitals, which are supplied courtesy of long-standing & very successful importing businesses within their own ethnic group.

Question: Is everything I need on a day-to-day basis available in Ghana, and is there anything I need to bring with me ?

Answer : Most 'garden variety' articles are available in Ghana, and you can source most items from Accra or Kumasi, even if they are not available if you are staying in a more remote area. All manner of local & imported foods are available at some of the supermarkets that have sprung up in Accra & Kumasi (Shoprite, Maxmart, Koala, Housemart - just to name a few in one or both of these cities), although it should be noted that the further you head away from these major cities, the more difficult things may be to source.

One interesting question we have encountered from travelers taking children along to Ghana is whether or not baby items such as nappies and foods are available. The answer is most definitely yes - in fact, excluding the major stores, local shops that cater for baby needs are plentiful, and stocks of items such as nappies are plentiful - there is no need to bring a supply of these items with you !

A similar experience can be found with a lot of toiletries you may require, including oral hygiene, deodorants, and perfumes. Unless you have a particular favourite, a great many brands are available at the very least in Accra, so you can stock up prior to taking trips outside of the capital.

To give you an example, I like to use the roll-on anti-perspirant of a certain German sports manufacturer - thinking this might not be available, I bought along about half a dozen roll-ons on one occasion during a three-month visit, to use for the duration of my trip....I need not have bothered - the exact type was available at most of the supermarkets listed on this reference page, at the same price or cheaper than I might obtain it in Australia ! 

For some specialist items, it may be an idea to bring spares of consumables. On my early 2008 trip to Ghana, I damaged the foil heads to my electric razor, and could not find replacements for my particular shaver model anywhere in Accra, so I had to use razor blades until I returned to Germany, where I was able to get a replacement at the first consumer electronics store I visited. However, most camera and computer consumables should be available in the major centres.

To be safe, it is advisable to bring all medications that you require along, with provision to last you the entire trip. While there are many pharmacies throughout Ghana that may have your prescription or the article you require, it is not a good idea to travel on the off chance that medications you require will be available in Ghana. If not, it is at least recommended to search online for a reliable pharmacy in Ghana that can supply your needs.

Question: What is the standard of the public amenities (toilets) in Ghana ?

Answer: The average public toilet in Ghana is not in a good state, and it is best to find private businesses who will let you use their facilities. It is often handy to make a mental note of where you will find good facilities in both cities and towns.

It is common for in less developed areas for locals to find a semi-private place to urinate/defecate, although most Ghanaians would long since be aware of the benefits of using a toilet over using a public place. Men particularly seem to have no qualms about urinating in public, and it is not seen in the same light as it might be if the same thing happened in a Western city.

A traditional village-style 'squat' - unless you are really off the beaten track, you are unlikely to use one of these. I've been to Ghana three times, spending a total of six months there, yet I've never had the pleasure of using one !

(January 2007)

As a visitor, try to make a note of the places with better facilities - restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, even office buildings may have very acceptable facilities, and might take mercy on a desperate tourist.

One thing about toilets in Ghana is that it is common to enter and find no toilet paper (or 'T-Roll', as it is more commonly called in Ghana). It would seem that perhaps maintenance of public toilets is not often as high on the list of a business' agenda as perhaps it should be (However, this could be said about other countries - I experienced a similar thing in Egypt - there, a janitor would want a tip for supplying a few sheets of toilet paper !).

So here is a tip from an experienced Ghana traveller - laugh if you want, but I strongly suggest that if you are in Ghana, before you set out for the day, take a quantity of toilet paper from your hotel, or wherever you are staying, and put it in the bottom of your camera bag, in your back pack, etc, just in case you go to use a toilet later and find there is no toilet paper. There is not much worse than not realizing until it is too late that there is no paper, although waiting for a painfully slow staff member to fetch some 'T-Roll' for you (if they have any) while you turn different shades of colour trying to hold it in is not much fun, either.

A public toilet near Ohene Djan Sports Stadium in the Osu district of Accra. Such structures are quite rare, and travellers are more likely to use the restrooms located in places like restaurants, bars, hotels, or filling stations.

(February 2008)

A second tip (which could suffice in any country) - if you like a modicum of hygiene, you might want to clean the toilet seat. Call me crazy, but I find the cleanliness of any toilet seat questionable, and I like to ensure a degree of hygiene before I sit down. How this is done is up to the individual, but let me just say that the filth that builds up on a public toilet seat is incredible.

A water truck pumps fresh water into the storage tanks of a tenement in the Sakumono district of Accra. Such practices are commonplace - while some places may deplete their water allocation, some do not receive an allocation at all, and rely exclusively on water trucks for their water supply.

(February 2008)

Finally, you may find that you go to the toilet, but after, it won't flush. This is often because the location you are at may have used their water supply, and are either waiting for their next allocation, or have to get more water supplies trucked in, or are just rationing their remaining supply. Often in this case, they leave a bucket of water for you to manually fill the water closet in order for it to flush, but if not, I usually do the polite thing and see if I can find a staff member to see if the problem can be sorted out.

Question: What is it like to drive in Ghana, what are the licencing requirements, and what are the general traffic conditions like ?

Answer : The road conditions in Ghana can be best described as being so similar to my native Australia, yet so different. Driving in Ghana can often be exhausting, hectic, and confusing, and while the geographical distance between two points might be, for example, just 15km by road, road conditions may make this a twenty minute or two hour trip. Indeed, many people probably underestimate the amount of traffic that is on Ghana's roads.

Licencing is done by the DVLA, the Ghana equivalent of the Department of Motor Vehicles in the United States, and the Motor Registration Department in my native Australia. I held an international licence, yet I was told by some Ghana Police that my licence was not valid. To save any further argument, I went to the DVLA, and after just three short hours of beurocracy, and less than 20Gh¢  later, I was the owner of a Republic Of Ghana licence.

Road fatalities are rather high in Ghana, presumably because drivers are not generally subject to the kind of driver training that occurs in more developed countries. Indeed, my creditials as a holder of an Australian driver's licence were accepted without any question, and I was issued a licence by the DVLA on the presumption that I was an experienced driver. While this is true, the DVLA did not require any evidence that I could drive a manual transmission car, for example, which are more common to Ghana than in my native Australia, where a vehicle with automatic transmission is far more common.

This topic is covered in more detail in the Ghana-pedia special topic titled Vehicles/Roads/Driving in Ghana.

One person has commented on this article.

No.1  Miss

Thank you very much for this information about ghana! Please can you write more of a general oveview of the country

Zoe (Unregistered) • 2008-12-02 14:21:35

Please keep your comments brief and on topic, and remember that this is not a discussion thread.

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Comment(s) : [quote=Zoe]Thank you very much for this information about ghana! Please can you write more of a general oveview of the country[/quote]

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