Is Ghana a safe place and 4 other frequently asked questions answered

Is it safe in Ghana, is one of many questions that people ask before travelling here. In this blog post you’ll find the answer to 5 very frequently asked questions.

Is Ghana a safe country to travel in?

There’s this general perception that African countries are not safe. You can’t travel alone. You’ll be robbed or worse. People will take advantage of you, trick you and overcharge. And of course, there are African countries where it’s not safe. But on this huge continent, there are also many safe countries.
Ghana is one of them! Of course, the above-mentioned things can happen, just like everywhere else in the world… But Ghana is politically stable, people are friendly in general and they are very proud of the peaceful state their country is in.

Follow these guidelines for safe travels in Ghana

• Listen to the locals, for example, the hotel staff.
• When they say you should/shouldn’t do something, they say it for a good reason
• Preferably don’t travel in the dark and certainly don’t travel alone in the dark
• Beware of pickpockets in the cities, especially in busier places such as markets and stations
• Don’t be too gullible
• Ghanaians are usually very helpful, for example when travelling on public transport. It is always smart to make contact with your neighbour while travelling
• Avoid overcharging by asking someone you can trust how much an item or taxi should cost. Or check at different selling points for the price

Which language do they speak in Ghana?

There are many languages in Ghana. Check this Wikipedia page for a full list. The official language in Ghana is English, but that really doesn’t mean that everybody speaks this colonial language. There are many different tribes who together form this West African country. The borders were also formed in colonial times and the colonialists didn’t consult the tribes on how to form the borders or which language to speak. This results in many languages across the country, which is a reason why English is still the official language.
Basically, the government sponsors 11 local languages, which are also being taught in schools in the regions. The language that is most widely spoken is Twi, only in the Volta and the Northern regions you won’t get far with this language. There you should try Ewe and Dagbani or Dagaare among others.

How do you say hello in Ghana?

The answer to this question is a bit difficult with about 80 different languages in the country. But also… People do not really say hello. They usually greet a bit more polite with good morning/afternoon/evening. The English hello is something that teachers and preachers say to make sure that the listeners are actually paying attention. The response is a collective Hi!!!
When you enter a house and want to say hello you can say agoo!

What is Ghana famous for?

Where to start… It’s diversity… The beautiful beaches… The hospitality of the Ghanaians… The beautiful nature… Peace…

I wrote a blog post with 10 reasons why you should spend your holiday in Ghana. I also added 7 places that you shouldn’t miss during your trip.

Spend your holiday in Ghana – 10 reasons why

Is Ghana a poor country?

Ghana is by far not the poorest country on the continent. According to Statista in 2022 3,1 million people in Ghana are living in extreme poverty, they live from less than 1,90 USD per day. The biggest part of these people live in rural areas.

MY subjective opinion is as follows. There is a lot of money in Ghana! Big cars, big houses, luxurious products. And no this money doesn’t all belong to expats, by far not! But the gap between rich and poor gets bigger and bigger. In some areas you can really see extreme poverty. Sometimes heartbreaking, especially in the cities. This is a bit contradictive to the figures provided before, I know. When people are poor but live in the village, most of the time they can get some food from the farm. Also, the extended family system is working for them. The poorest in smaller communities are less likely to be hungry because there are always family members to count on for some food.

Can you drink tap water in Ghana?

No, I wouldn’t drink water from the tap here. The water from the water company contains a lot of chemicals. When the water is from a borehole it might be a different story. This water is usually tested.
You can buy drinking water in sachets and in bottles. When travelling there are some lodges who have thought about all this plastic waste and who offer filtered drinking water.

What about Wi-Fi and internet in Ghana

This is another frequently asked question about Ghana. I recently explained everything in a separate article. Click here to read it!

Let me know in the comments if your question is still unanswered!