Ghana is known to be one of the safest and vibrant countries in Africa. While it doesn’t sit high on the list of places to go for digital nomads, there are already a lot of infrastructures to help remote workers, and more to come.
Let’s see what Ghana has in store for us nomads!
Internet Speed in Ghana
When we take a look at speedtest.com, we can see that the overall internet speed is quite high. On one hand, mobile’s download speed is 13.07Mbps and upload speed is 9.02Mbps, on the other hand, fixed broadband’s download speed is 50.85Mbps, and upload speed of 39.34 Mbps.
This is true if you plan on staying in Accra, Kumasi, and other cities along the Atlantic coast, but if you’re traveling through the mainland, do not expect the same numbers.
WiFi access is still quite limited across the country, although you will find internet cafés, hotels, and restaurants that offer free WiFi. According to Wifimap.io, there are 2566 WiFi hotspots in Ghana.
The best mobile network is undeniably MTN Mobile. Nomads might prefer this alternative to stay connected, more than using WiFi hotspots.
Here’s a map, from Nperf.com, of the 4G coverage in Ghana.
Digital Nomad Visa in Ghana
Only a few of African countries are exempted from visas for 90 days. Some countries in the Caribbean Sea, such as Jamaica, are also exempted but for 60 days.
Any other country in Africa, except Morocco, can benefit from a 30 days visa on arrival.
For the rest of the world, you will need a visa before traveling. The Visa will allow you to stay up to 90 days in the country.
Ghana shall be introducing e-visa during this year, 2021. This will get rid of the embassy and on-arrival visa processes.
There is no digital nomad Visa in Ghana
It is important to note that to work from Ghana, you will need a residence permit and a work permit. Digital Nomads coming to Ghana with a tourist Visa need to come to visit the country as any tourist.
Average Cost of Living
Being a fairly developed country, Ghana is not as cheap as you may have thought.
As reported by Nomadlist, the cost of living for a digital nomad, in the capital city Accra, goes up to $3057 per month. While in Kumasi, it is $1689 per month thus nearly half.
If you’re looking to stay in a hotel, you should plan to spend approximately $20 per day and $38 for a couple.
The cheapest Airbnbs are roughly around the same price range, from $17 to $25 per day.
Best cities to work from in Ghana
Accra
The capital city is the heart and soul of Ghana. Sitting on the coast of the Atlantic Sea, the weather is sweet and you can find many activities to do, such as surfing, during the right season. Nightlife is especially a major draw in Accra.
This is the place to be for a remote worker, as most of the coworking spaces and other accessible spots with WiFi are located there.
Here are some of the best coworking spaces in Accra:
As for hotels, I highly recommend Somewhere Nice which is without a doubt one of the most amazing places to stay in Ghana.
Kumasi
Kumasi is the ancient capital of the Ashanti Kingdom and the second-largest city in Ghana.
While the city is not as fun as Accra for nomads, you can still find a fair amount of WiFi hotspots and places to work from such as HapaSpace and Kumasi Hive.
The city holds a lot of Ghana’s history as well as one of the biggest markets in Ghana.
Special mention: Moon&Star Guest House in Banko, 33km from Kumasi
This is a guest-house near Kumasi, which provides everything that a remote worker needs.
A one-month stay costs $433 and you’ll have 3 meals per day, a private bedroom with a bathroom. What more could you ask for?
