#AskDonna: How Do I Find a Job in Africa as a Foreigner?

Today I’m answering the first question in the #AskDonna series: 

I get this question fairly frequently from both friends and strangers. I found my job in Rwanda on Linkedin but the chances of that happening for most people are probably slim.

I am sometimes (ironically) suspicious of this question because I am judgmental of the sometimes underlying “save the world” ambitions that are not backed by relevant skills. I also think a lot of us foreigners are potentially contributing to unemployment of locals because some foreigners command high salaries for jobs that could be done at lower cost by locals, and sometimes their qualifications don’t prepare them for the local context adequately, if at all. Now combine that with the fact that the continent’s fast economic growth means that foreign companies are racing to invest in African countries, while increased African wealth is predicted to lead to increased African emigration and you might find yourself, as a foreign hire, immersed in a strange neo-colonial space. That being said, I’ll leave it to the individual to work through these ethical quandaries for him/herself.

Like a good antagonist, I sometimes like to answer a question with more questions. If you’re thinking of searching for a job in Africa, here are some questions to ask yourself:

1. Where in Africa do you want to move to?

Africa is 54 countries, not one. You wouldn’t expect the same experience living in Atlanta, as you would in New York, or Dallas. And those are three cities within the same country. So you surely should not expect similar lifestyles all across the continent. North, South, West, East and Central Africa are distinct regions with different cultures, languages, and religions.

There are vast differences even within those regions. I find Rwanda and Uganda to be so different, I can hardly believe that they are neighbouring countries. The Johannesburg skyline rivals that of any major metropolitan city, and even the Dutch say Cape Town reminds of them of Amsterdam. The hustle and bustle of South African cities, and the variety of wildlife found on their safaris is a far cry from nearby Malawi, which has more of a ‘sleepy’ quality, and offers none of the stereotypical African safari experiences.

• Do you need to live in a vibrant and exciting city? South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria are good places to start.
• Are you drawn to pristine beaches? Mozambique, Tanzania, and the Seychelles might be up your alley.
• Do you want an idyllic life, where you spend quiet evenings immersed in nature? You might like Rwanda, Malawi or Botswana.
• Do you need affordable internet and 24/7 electricity to be happy? Ghana and Nigeria may not be your best bets right now.

2. What skills or assets do you have?

As with any professional move, you have to consider whether your skillset matches the needs of your target. Why should someone hire you over a local?

• Do you have special skills in ICT?
• Do you speak the language(s) of your target country?
• Are you experienced in a particular industry that is considered a high need area in that country?
• Do you have a chunk of money that you can invest in starting a new business?
• If you have a license to practice in your field, does that license transfer to the country you want to move to? For example, a US law degree will not qualify a lawyer to practice in most other countries.

It’s a good idea to look to at the job descriptions of titles that you would want, and see what requirements you have, and which ones you lack. For example, your Spanish skills will not be of much value on the continent, but fluency in French coupled with the right professional background can open a lot of doors.

3. What visa restrictions will you face?

I hope you’re not planning to be an illegal alien. There seem to be quite a few people who bounce from one country to another on tourist visas. But if you want to be in another country for an extended period, I recommend figuring out if it’s even possible for you to get the visa you need to be in legal status.

• What are the requirements for getting a work permit, or resident visa?
• Does your intended country allow foreigners to work in any job, or are certain jobs reserved for locals?
• Can you apply for a work permit yourself, or do you need to get a company to ‘sponsor’ you?
• Can you apply for a work permit in the new country, or do you have to get it before you arrive there?
• What will be required to get the visa? (For example, a clean police record and notarized transcripts are often requested.)

4. What’s the cost of your move?

• What’s the cost of living in the new country? You can check cost of living calculators like Numbeo to get an idea.
• Will your new salary allow you to live comfortably and save based on your personal goals?
• Is it important for your new employer to help you find a house? If you have to find the house yourself, will you have to pay an agent to assist you?
• OR will your employer provide housing, with furniture?
• Do you have an investment property or business back home that can generate money for you?
• Are you going to need a car, or is public transportation readily available? How much will transportation cost?

5. Why do you want to move?

”I’ve noticed a trend among people who write about living abroad. They describe it as some sort of salve that cures all the ills of their homeland. As if getting a new country of residence magically removes all the personal issues they have to do with. Sure, there are some location-related pressures that you can escape by moving. But YOU won’t change just because your address has. Whatever unhappiness, depression, and general malcontent has settled in your life will reappear once the euphoria of living somewhere new and exciting has worn off. And then you might be stuck in a new country (or continent) with no support system to speak of, and the same issues you were running from will haunt you just as much as they did before, or even worse. Remember, “Wherever you go, there you are.”

So once you’ve answered the questions above, here are some resources to help you find your dream job in Africa.  Many of these resources would probably work just as well on other continents.

For jobs in the non-profit sector:

• www.idealist.org (Tip: Create a profile and then create job alerts by country and by job type. For example, if you’re interested in being a lawyer in South Africa, you can input that information, then get a weekly email that lists all new jobs that meet that criteria).
• Linkedin – Similar to Idealist, you can set job alerts so you get emailed when positions that meet your criteria get posted. You can also “follow” companies so that you see whenever they post new positions
• Escape The City – Great job site that is targeted for people looking to do innovative jobs, mostly outside of the US. They send a weekly email with their most exciting new opportunities, but also allow you to “follow” companies and set alerts like the sites above.
• Devex, DevNetJobs, and ReliefWeb– List development jobs that usually require advanced degrees, and multiple years of experience.
• Young Professional Programs – Some of the major International non profit organisations have YPPs that are supposed to be stepping stones for young people with limited experience to get into these agencies. They usually limit each year’s applications to a certain window, and citizens of specific countries, and there are age limits. Check individual agencies such as the African Development Bank, UN, UNFAO, UNHCR, and UNESCO for details.

Fellowships and volunteer positions can be a good way to get your foot in the door in a foreign economy. The pay varies widely for fellowship positions, but housing is usually provided. Do your due diligence with volunteer positions. Far too many of them are moneymaking schemes that hurt the communities they are supposed to be helping.

• Peace Corps – These volunteer positions range from 3 months to 2 years, depending on your level of experience and the job description.
• Global Health Corps – Great one-year fellowships in public health. American citizens can be placed in Rwanda, Malawi, Burundi, Uganda, or Zambia. Non-Americans can be placed in their home countries, or in the US.
• VSO – Has a range of volunteering opportunities for both  youth, and more experienced folks.
• Africa Business Fellowship – Matches Americans with a business backgrounds with African businesses for short-term consultancies.
• Acumen Global Fellowship – 12 month social enterprise fellowship for individuals with business expertise. Includes training and debrief in New York before and after the placement.
• WWOOF and Workaway – Get free food and accommodation with a family in exchange for assisting with day to day activities in family/small business settings such as farms, yoga retreats, schools, etc.

For teaching English as a Foreign, or Second, Language:

• British Council – Has locations across the globe, including many African cities. Teaching jobs with the British Council will usually require a CELTA or higher level of ESL certification.
• Dave’s ESL Café, ESL Employment, & ESLJobs – These sites mostly list jobs in Asia but I have seen a few postings for African countries from time to time.

For teaching at an international school (This generally requires you to be a licensed teacher in your home country)

• Teachaway
• If you have a specific country in mind, you can do a google search for international schools in that country, and check their websites, and/or contact them directly. Most international teachers seem to switch schools every 3-5 years, and their positions are highly coveted, so it makes sense to be aggressive.

Other random resources: 

• Expat Facebook and Google Groups – A lot of countries have expat groups online for people to socialise and ask questions. So if I was interested in moving to Angola, I’d do a search for Angola expats and Luanda expats and see what pops up. Most of the content will be relevant for foreigners already living in the country, but you can sometimes use these groups to get insight into what its like to be a foreigner in that country, and what job prospects are. Note that some group administrators will not let you join if you don’t already live in the country.
• Social media accounts relevant to your intended country/industry – I see so many job opps being posted on Twitter and Facebook these days. Make sure you’re following companies you’re interested in.
• Industry specific recruiting firms – There are many international recruiting firms that place candidates in specific industries across the world. Checking their sites will help you stay abreast of openings in specific fields.
• Your university Career Services Office/Alumni Network – This may be more common for American universities, but if you had a decent CSO, they should be willing to provide you with information about international job openings, and/or alumni who are from or working in your intended country. You can also use Linkedin to reach out to alumni or even current students who are from the country you want to move to.
• International offices of major corporations, universities and nonprofits – Given the globalised nature of today’s economy, many companies now have offices in multiple countries. Sometimes you need to go the specific
• Work remotely – 
  • Consider converting your job to a remote position so you can work from anywhere – If you are a highly valued employee, you may be able to convince your superiors to allow you to work remotely full-time, or at least for an extended period.
  • You can also look for a new position that allows remote work. Remoteok and SkipTheDrive are great sites for finding remote jobs:
  • You can also create your own location independent business so you can work from anywhere. This presents its own logistical hurdles, but there’s a whole subset of folks living abroad while making money online as programmers, website developers, e-book creators, online teachers, authors, Etsy sellers, etc.

Remember that even with a remote job, you will still have to navigate visa requirements of the country you move to, and potentially the country your employer is based in, if you have one.

If you know of other great resources, or have other questions about this topic, please leave a comment in the box below. And do let me know if this was helpful! If you’d like me to answer your question as a part of the #AskDonna series, you can submit it using the contact form.

If you liked this post, please be kind and share it with using one of the icons below 🙂

Facebook

Twitter

Tumblr

Pinterest

Google+

Linkedin

Reddit

email