Pilgrimage to Ghana’s slave castles
Accra’s music, nightlife and teeming markets are an antidote to the West African country’s sombre history
An increasing number of black Americans are making a pilgrimage to Ghana to set foot on African soil in remembrance of their enslaved ancestors. The country on the West African bulge hosts 133,880 US arrivals each year in contrast to a trickle of about 4,260 South Africans, according to Ghana’s most recent tourism report.
With companies such as Standard Bank (trading as Stanbic Bank), Gold Fields, MTN and Shoprite operating in Ghana, many of the visitors from SA are there for business rather than tourism. There is no need for a visa, so they can sweep through immigration to the warm Twi welcome of akwaaba before braving the tropical heat and heavily indebted economy. In the capital city of Accra, they can engage in business within a relatively safe democracy where English is the official language. ..
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