Africa is the largest of the continents of the Earth, inhabited by 1 billion 200 million people. There are 57 states in Africa, of which 3 continue to be unrecognized. Their level of development differs significantly. For example, the Republic of South Africa is among the twenty leading world countries in terms of economic development. At the same time, in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Chad and many other countries, the standard of living of the local population cannot be assessed at all, because it can be characterized in the following words: absolute poverty.
That is why it is simply not necessary to talk about any uniform working conditions in African countries. We can only state general trends. You should discard the usual stereotypes of the European Union and be ready to plunge into a completely new world, in which many dangers and pleasant surprises await.
In many states of Africa, long-term armed conflicts continue. Maybe not everyone knows, but over a decade of war between the tribes of North and South Sudan, almost one and a half million people died, and the whole world knows about the Arab Spring in the states of the Maghreb and Egypt. And that’s not all. This information should be taken into account when looking for a job in Africa, as it will help you choose the best country for employment and avoid the danger of falling into a war zone. If a person agrees to work in a country with an unstable political situation, where there is a war in one form or another, then he must initially understand what he agrees to and soberly assess the degree of risk and its compensation.
Which countries in Africa are the most suitable for employment
For employment in Africa, the countries that were part of the British Empire are most suitable . Despite the fact that after gaining independence, there was no trace of the usual English order and stability in them, for the most part these states continue official or unofficial cooperation with the former metropolis and use the economic resource created back in the days of joining the empire. In addition, the legislation of these countries is based on the English system, which allows foreigners to understand it.
The most attractive African country in terms of employment has been and continues to be South Africa. Despite the fact that in recent years the economic growth rate of the Republic of South Africa has fallen somewhat, the standard of living of its citizens and the level of wages continue to remain high even by European standards. But getting a job in this country is quite difficult, for this you need to be a highly qualified specialist. Today, the South African authorities are pursuing a policy of prioritizing the filling of vacancies by South African citizens. Therefore, the applicant should expect high competition for almost any of the positions. The salary of a specialist in the wilds of the African jungle may not be less than in South Africa, but the working and living conditions cannot be compared.
A few years ago, work in Libya was very popular among Russians and citizens of the CIS. But after the overthrow of the regime of Colonel Gaddafi, chaos reigned in the country, local hostilities are still going on, the economy is in ruins. Although experts say that in a few years Libya expects an economic recovery, and this should be taken into account when planning employment in Africa (before the war, the annual volume of oil exported by Libya was over 70 billion US dollars).
The countries of West Africa, in particular Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, have a significant amount of the world’s reserves of gold and diamonds. Therefore, Western mining companies and their counterparts from the CIS carried out the development and extraction of these minerals, constantly increasing the capacity of mining enterprises and increasing its volumes. But in 2014, the deadly Ebola virus broke out in West Africa, which greatly froze the economic development of these countries. Guinea and Sierra Leone have become the epicenter of the deadly virus.
Tanzania is one of the most developed countries on the continent. Today, the Tanzanian economy requires specialists in almost all its fields, and the island of Zanzibar (Tanzanian autonomy) has long become a kind of Mecca for tourists from all over the world, so you can always find work in the tourism business there.
Oil production continues in Egypt, and the tourist segment of the economy is traditionally at its best. The Egyptian economy is relatively stable, despite the political turmoil of recent years.
In terms of employment, the following African countries are promising:
- Kingdom of Morocco (production of agricultural products, tourism business);
- Algeria (agricultural sector, tourism);
- Nigeria (oil and gas production, oil refining, infrastructure development);
- Ethiopia (construction of infrastructure);
- Ghana (mining, including uranium);
- Sudan (creation and construction of infrastructure);
- Namibia (gold and diamond mining);
- Senegal (infrastructure construction);
- Equatorial Guinea (mining, construction of hydroelectric power stations).
Most of the countries of West and Central Africa are the least economically developed. For example, finding a job in the Central African Republic is almost impossible. It is very problematic to work in countries whose territory or part of it belongs to the Sahara desert. In these regions, some exploration and mining of minerals is carried out, but working conditions are extremely difficult due to the very hot arid climate and the constant shortage of water.
Job Search Methods
Job search methods in Africa are not fundamentally different from those that can be used, for example, in Europe. But not every of these methods is effective in African conditions. For example, it is possible to visit an African country as a tourist and find a job during this, but this method is practically unrealistic, if we do not talk about working in Egypt or South Africa. A flight to Africa is expensive, and applying to local employers will not bring the desired result.
High and stable salaries in Africa can be obtained, as a rule, when working in representative offices of foreign companies (American, British, German, Indian, Chinese, Russian). The local employer will usually not be able to pay the desired amount because they do not have the financial capacity to do so. The main capital in Africa is concentrated in the hands of foreign businesses that operate on the Black Continent. The only exception is the Republic of South Africa, where the majority of enterprises are owned by local businessmen. Therefore, it is just possible to visit it in order to find a job. But at the same time, the high cost of the trip itself should be taken into account.
Finding a job with the help of intermediaries
For employment in Africa, you can turn to the services of intermediary recruiting companies. They will be able to provide information about vacancies and connect the job seeker directly with the employer or its representatives in the country of residence of the seeker. But there are a few simple truths to keep in mind when working with recruiting agencies. Firstly, the services of a recruitment agency are not free, their cost is quite high. Before signing the contract, you should ask how payment will be made. In no case should you agree to an advance payment, since the advance payment itself can be received, and the services are simply not provided.And this situation is observed quite often. Unlike Western Europe, the services of recruiting companies in finding work in Africa are usually paid directly by the job seeker.
Secondly, you can run into scammers. Therefore, before starting work with a recruiting agency, you should ask about its reputation, go to the company’s office, get acquainted with the current license, as well as with the reviews of people who are already working in Africa with the help of this agency.
Thirdly, you need to understand that returning home from Africa is much more difficult than from any European country. Yes, and immigration rules are much less loyal than in Europe. For their violation, you can end up in an African prison, which for a white person will simply become a disaster and a real threat to his life. This factor must be taken into account when trusting your fate to a recruitment agency and a recommended employer. Therefore, it is advisable to double-check the information about the vacancy three times before agreeing to take it.
Contacting companies operating in Africa
Direct contact with the employer can be considered the most effective – contacting the main office of a company operating in Africa usually brings results. Very often, decisions on personnel issues are made outside the Black Continent, namely at head offices located in Europe, America, India, China or Russia. Therefore, you should find information about a company operating in Africa and send your resume to its HR department. After passing the interview and agreeing on all organizational issues, the flight to Africa to the place of work will be the final stage of the process. You should search for a company according to your specialty. For example, a doctor can contact the head office of a clinic located in Italy or India, and a geologist can contact the central office of a mining company located, for example, in the UK.