By knowing some important things that are explained below, you can make sure that you have taken all the precautionary measures during your stay at Africa.
Money:
There are not much facilities in the banking system of Africa. Not all the countries allow you to use your credit and current bank cards.
Make preparations by discussing with your bank as the last place travelled by me was Uganda and I could just withdraw my cash through credit card from only the Barclays Bank Branch at Kampala road. While UK bank cards can be used in machines in Kenya.
Travelers’ cheque must be ignored. They are rarely accepted and are greatly used in fraudulent activities. Before travelling, they are not exchangeable with local currency and getting good exchange rates is not probable.
Cash in British Pounds, US Dollars or Euros is a good choice. Take however amount you need of Us Dollars with 100 – 200 extra for uncertainty as this currency is widely acceptable even more than Pounds or Euros so take some as safe-side.
Out of the capital cities, banks usually accept only Dollars and even Africans immediately accept US Dollars from foreigners. Get the US Bills dated after 1999 as after the Iraq wars bills dated 1999 are widely fake so unaccepted.
You need not to put all your money at the same place. Divide it in different pockets for safety purpose. You can even use the African style of putting in socks. Ask your hotel, if they have any security for money and passports as some big ones have safe in each room.
Travel Insurance
Don’t think just take it. I used petrol to light up barbecues and so set on fire, once in a visit to South Africa, along with a gunpoint robbery which took everything even my passport in central Johannesburg.
Then a Xhosa local carried me which contained a semi-conductor pistol for every moment’s use. these insurances are available having “World Wide” policies.
Cultural Awareness
The local people will have perceptions about you for being a foreigner e.g. if from west then richness. They have a mindset that a white is very rich and own a dollar tree in his garden and he does have money to spend on expensive hotels so they will charge you a lot. Keep a local with you if you are alone. You can keep a taxi driver with you as it’s the best choice.
Whatever is done by you must be fair. Knowing about all these people doesn’t mean you try to disgrace them or devalue them. Don’t treat the Africans like they are duffer or idiots. Treat them with respect by using descent language, for example, these Africans don’t like swearing and you will suddenly notice a sign of disagreement on their face.
Visa
You might need to have a visa for travelling to an African country. It’s very important if your country isn’t in good relations with your visiting country. You need to buy it in advance from your home country or after reaching the border as it would be troubling for you waiting in queues in case your flight is indirect.
Visa price would be at least $65, varies with the change in the visiting country. Often, visa issuance is for three months but can be changed according to your stay.
Avoiding Trouble
There are some measures to be taken after or before getting into trouble.
Information: you need to tell all your family and friends about your departure day, your return and your staying place. You need to inform the embassy or consulate about the details of your stay when you reach there in the country.
Documents: you need to take the documents along with their photocopies, in case the original get missing you can prove your identity and can claim a replacement immediately. You must have to put one copy in home. Driving-license is good to take with you. The compulsory documents which you must take with you are: any visas you need and the identity page.
Mobile phones: you need to have your phone network unlocked so that you buy a local SIM, cost around 10 pounds and activate it to inform your family back via SMS, and they call you back using cheap international call rates. Store your local embassy or consulate number to get their access if necessary.
Money: in case you have been a victim of robbery then you must need immediate cash to spend to meet needs there. So western union is the best growing network and it’s all spread in Africa. You will just have to ask someone in your home country to send you and text you relating details.
But, still you will be asked for some ID to make sure of your identity. For example it would be like, “what’s your dog called?”
Police: you need to be very polite with police officers, as there are a lot of them who are not being paid a handsome amount so they claim to have some money as bribe.
So, if something happens to you and you are at right then you don’t need to worry about that. You just need to say them to talk to your ambassador or consul.
But in case, you are accused of doing something wrong then it would be taken as illegal and breakage of law. In this situation you will surely need to give them whatever amount will settle the case.
Still we advise you NOT TO BREAK ANY COUNTRY’S LAWS. These laws are different from different countries so you must need to have the common knowledge of the laws of the country where you go.
Let’s give you an example, homosexuality is considered illegal in most of the countries of Africa. This all information is available in the country reports, as well, so that you can have a better view about facts.
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