DOUALA CAMEROON: FROM THE EYES OF AN EXPATRIATE WIFE- 2

ACCOMMODATION

Housing in Douala, is certainly a tough option. The possibility of a camel moving through the needles eyes is almost certain than getting a good house in Douala, especially if you are not prepared to stay for about three months to have your choice. The demand for accommodation  in the areas of choice far surpass the properties that are actually available. Getting a prospective house include the need for heavy renovations that may be tantamount to re-building the property . House after house, we experienced complete dissatisfaction. Those that were good enough, were already taken.

It took an average of 3 months before we could get a good accommodation which required certain refurbishment which were more structural and design related than repairs. Most of other buildings we were shown were old and dilapidated. Areas in Douala include Bonanjo, Bonaprisso, Akwa, Deido, Bonaloka,  Bonamousadi, Bonaberi , Bassa, Ndokoti etc.  For expatriates, choices are restricted to  Bonanjo, and Bonaprisso because  it's safer, its where most expatriate lives  and where good restaurants are located. Other recommended area is Akwa, a central business district and residential area.

Property Patrons (Landlords) in Doula do not maintain their properties in the least way imaginable. They leave it in a state of disrepute and abandonment and this liability is inherited by prospective occupiers who are most often than not desperate to make the best out of the bad situation. The rent is also quite high, as most of them capitalize on the competitive demand  for the houses. A service flat can go for as high as 2milion CFA per month while a Duplex (non-service) can b e between 2.5 -3.5 million CFA depending on the facilities such as playing space, swimming pools, Garden etc.

Most building walls are covered with tiles and it was easier to erroneously take this as a show of wealth or a difference in cultural believe. However my first hand experience of the humidity level created quite an impression. It was something of a compulsive choice considering the high level of humidity in Cameroon. The humidity level in Douala is so high that  if you travel for a couple of weeks, you will need someone to help open your house periodically to allow some fresh air in, otherwise everything will mildew before you arrive. Utility bills especially for electricity is very high. You pay as much as 300,000.00 CFA if you live in a whole house or about 160,000.00 CFA if you live in a flat. Water bills are a bit more manageable but of course if you live on bottled water for drinking, it’s a lot more expensive

DOUALA CAMEROON: FROM THE EYES OF AN EXPATRIATE WIFE- 1

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Landing at the airport about 10 months ago presented a bouquet of mixed feelings. Although the first fear I nursed was that of the language but luckily many people here are bilingual, a rare opportunity for a first-timer like me in a French colony.  As we moved through the airport, I asked myself, an airport or an airstrip? But I soon realized several constructions were ongoing so it was a  good sign that some significant development was certainly in the offing. This first impression is particularly true as you drive into the town which details the level of improvement required for the country to meet the west.

A complete juxtaposition of the old and new, albeit the old building sharply dominating the new ones. There are new high rise apartment sprawling just close enough to old one-story dilapidated duplexes.

Living in Douala especially as an expatriate requires some preparation and advice from ''veteran expat'' who have had a taste of the baptism. Adjusting to Life in Douala can be initially tough because of language barrier (if you don’t speak French), cultural shock and life style. However when well settled, living in Douala can be quiet, serene and peaceful especially if you have just exited a busy city. Although so much for first Impressions, many were proven true.

THE  PEOPLE

Douala gave me an unexpected level of cultural shock. Of course I knew I would have to make some adjustment, but I assumed more common behavioural pattern. Though there are few similarities, the differences are enormous.

One of the most striking differences is our attitude to work. An average francophone guy is laid back, motivated by the food he needs to eat in the immediacy other than future plans; and is not aggressive about moving with speed. They are slow and can’t be bothered. People who sell can also be a bit hostile when dealing with customers. A typical French shop closes from 12noon to 2.30pm, that's the French break!  Resumption is at will across several organisations.

Another shock was also the level of single motherhood in Cameroon especially among young girls who are barely working. Having children out of wedlock is almost a certainty at late teens Expectations are not very high on getting married. The conflict between the Anglophone Cameroon and francophone Cameroon has been inevitably extended to Non-Cameroonians who speak English as their first language. Once you speak English, you are prone to certain doses of hostility.

Foreign Entrepreneur Describes The Highs and Lows of Doing Business in East Africa

BY DINFIN MULUPI: culled from howwemadeitinafrica.com

After 30 years working in the IT industry, Roly Adlam decided to call it quits. The British entrepreneur packed his bags and moved to Kenya. He eventually decided to start Rift Valley Leather (RVL), a company that designs and manufactures leather bags and accessories.

RVL operates two stores in Nairobi and has exported to 15 international markets. The manufacturer also sells to camps, hotels and restaurants and corporate organisations in the region. Although its products are niche and costly, the business has been considerably successful.

“You only have to look at the roads to see the very expensive cars. Where the money comes from I don’t know, but the money is here,” said Adlam. “We aim at the middle class and the higher echelons of society. Half of our customers are Kenyans and the other half are foreigners and expatriates.”

The Briton noted that while US and European economies are currently strained, business is booming in Africa thanks to the growing middle class. “It is clear that East Africa, and Kenya in particular, is a booming [market] in the world at the moment. The modern western world is suffering from the financial indiscretions… [but] it is not adversely affecting East Africa.”

He, however, argued that while many reports are favourable about the prospects of Africa, his experience of doing business in Kenya has not been smooth sailing.

“Had I known how massive the challenges were before I got here, I probably wouldn’t have done it,” he said. “It has been five years of very hard work, huge amount of stress and no commensurate satisfaction. But, it is coming. There are significant challenges and it takes a brave man or woman who knows what the challenges are to even contemplate approaching them. It is a difficult environment.”

The difficulties notwithstanding, Adlam noted that foreign investors should not shy away from doing business in Africa.

“I don’t regret it,” said Adlam. “Africa will boom if trade is facilitated. If you are organised, persistent and patient, you should invest here.”

SEVEN FACTS ABOUT GHANA

1. Ghana is the first country in sub -Saharan Africa to gain its independence in 1957

2. The population of Ghana is over 23 million

3. Ghana formerly known as Gold Coast

4. Ghana's capital city is Accra

5. Ghana is one of the largest cocoa producer in the world.

6. The  Lake Volta is the largest reservoir and artificial lake by surface area in the world.

7. The colour yellow in the flag represents mineral wealth, red represents bloodshed for independence, the green stands for its forest and natural wealth, the black star is stands for lonestar of African freedom. 

LAGOS THE BEST KEPT SECRET (VIDEO)

Lagos is a city that never sleeps just like New York city in America. This is however true of the commercial capital of the largest black nation in the world. A city that is full of energy, desire to excel,  entrepreneurship and entertainment to talk of few. There are more good in Lagos than crime, contrary to the belief most people have about the beautiful city.  

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CONTACT CENTRE AND BUSINESS PROCESS OUTSOURCING IN EAST AFRICA

THE KENCALL STORY

I  wrote about the call centre outsourcing business in India and Philippines and why African countries are lagging behind in this regard. Despite Africa's educated pool, strong work ethic, low cost of labour, high motivation to succeed and large pool of young talent waiting to be employed one will wonder why Africa could not benefit from the outsourcing and BPO business until the 21st century.

However, I got a mail from one of the readers of this blog informing me about the rise in contact centre and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) in East Africa. I researched about this growth and i found out that Kenya  leads the way. This prod me to write share the Kencall story.

Outsourcing contact centres is a business that has grown to become an increasingly popular option for both large and small companies in recent years with the aim of cutting cost ,companies therefore hire third party firms, BPO companies to handle their interaction functions of their business. South Africa is seen as the hub of contact biz in Africa just as India in Asia.

The Kencall story:

KenCall is the largest contact centre in Kenya providing BPO services to firms worldwide. This is a company that got award for the Best Non European Call Centre at the Contact Centre Focus (CCF) awards 2008.

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SUDAN AND THE GROWTH OF OPPORTUNITIES

By Mohamed Elfatih Ismail

Stories about Sudan focuses more on war and poverty but there is hope and future going by this short piece from a friend in Sudan.

Sudan is one of the war torn countries that is showing signs growth as indicated by its GDP growth rate for some years now. This growth was gained by relying on the oil resources discovered at the end of the last decade. According to Ernst and Young, It was ranked in 2010 as one of the five largest economies in the African sub-Saharan countries. In addition, Sudan has tremendous resources that can be utilized to enable the country to take its position in the regional and the international scene. Although, the referendum results have broken our hearts and ended up shrinking our budget as Sudan now is facing a severe economical downturn (the 2011 GDP growth rate had plummeted by more than -4%), the telecommunication sector is still potential for the existing rivals as well as new entrants.