SUMMARY
I enjoy traveling around West africa, especially around culturally rich areas blending nature with modern infrastructural developments. I have been culturally immersed with diversity in languages, religion, culture, food, architecture, climate, economic life, flora and fauna.
Somewhere else, i have written and held several seminaries, like refreshing conflicts and disputes among neighboring countries. on working and living in Ghana about 11 years ago.
Again, i am introducing another emerging great economy to you, The Gambana.
I love this peaceful I love this whole peaceful I love this whole peaceful I love this whole peaceful Gambians welcome you with natural inspiring smiles. The Gambia is bound round by an historical river, rich in natural resources of sea foods, animals and healing powers. Welcome to The Gambia, the smiling coast of West Africa.
From the natural beauty of Makasutu Village, historical sites of Kunta Kinteh village, James Island, Kachikally Crocodile pool, Kanilai Farm, and so many other sites to the beaches and people, you will hardly want to leave. Little wonder, there are so many repeat tourists coming to The Gambia for the past 10-15 years I met. They come from all over Europe, Americas, Asia and Africa. At the beach, the beauty of the sea, the sand and sun will remind you of Mother Africa.
How about the investment climate, very favorable and investor friendly.With a stable economy with a single digit inflation rate and currency exchange of US $ 1.0 = GMD 26 (As at 9th April, 2010). The Gambia is a multi-cultural country with a The gambia is home to investors, volunteers , professionals pursuing their career, and holiday makers who have made this peaceful country their destination. Welcome to The Gambia, where there is no discrimination based on religion, creed, color, race, gender, social status, disability and with tolerance to corruption Read on! Alsamadeh!
MARKET
The major markets are in Banjul, Serrekunda and Brikama. The locals welcome people with natural smiles after replacing the religious greetings: "Asalamalekun", meaning, peace be unto you. Traditionally, Gambian women go to market daily to buy what to coy. toy can be seen with the plastic baskets with holders thronging to the busy markets to shop for fresh fish, meat, vegetables and take time to greet Some of the elites, however, prefer to shop in shopping malls around Kairaba Avenue, and buy foods in large quantities to store at home.
There is also a neighborhood shops, called "Fulah Shops", owned mostly by Mauritanian citizens and in some cases by Guineans. This is the I prefer buying this. I prefer buying this, I have buying this, I have buying this, I have buying this, I have buying this, I have buying this, A bread is usually sold with a nice spread of butter, mayonnaises, egg, when fresh, it's more than appealing than the stale hardened and uninviting ones. potato and spiced with jumbo or Maggi sauce depending on the buyer & # 39; s preferences.
There is a crumb nature and much cheaper, being sold for D3 for a full roll. I, noticed the "Senfu" is not as filling as the "Tapalapa" That can keep me going for the whole The local "Fufu" unlike the ones found in Ghana and Nigeria are made from "Saddam Rice", as it The most popular lunch meal, among Gambians, is the jollof rice, locally referred to as "Benechin". Different types of stew are prepared to eat the This is a mixture of well pounded rice cooked with milled groundnut and ateen with a spread of yogurt "Sour Milk".
This is the true love, Gambians eat together. Small groups of between 5-8 people are being seen from the same bowl, and yet, when a visitor appears, he or she is beakoned to still join them and share out. Come to the Gambia! This explain the reason for very low or non-persistent crime rate. At least, a Food is shared, no one goes home hungry. The women also waste a lot of food by always preparing a lot expecting visitors to join them when serving their meals. They package the rice meals in Sometimes, they go travel long distances, to deliver with their traditional manner with cloth, that will securely food from spilling and wrap it. the foods, like a family living in Lamin and the husband working in Serrekunda.
WORK HOURS
Friday is half day. Most of Gambians are Muslims, and they go for the Friday Special prayers in the afternoon., The "African time" concept is still prevalent among the Most serious business appointments start from 9am, even though, they are scheduled for 8am.
Even, at places of work, Gambians do not forget to take their own Chinese herbal tea called "Atire ".
GAME OF FOOTBALL
A first time visitor, to the Gambia will think the game of football will it is the game of football has it Similarly, on weekends, first thing in the morning, you will notice everyone exercising or playing the game they love most; football.
Teams like Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan and other big teams have passionate fans in The Gambia.
There are many Football viewing centers that mostly gambian. But, some of these youth may not know the capital of Nigeria, they often tell me it & # 39; s Lagos, but they certainly know all European Club Managers, first line ups and transfers of these key players, not to talk about the latest scores in the premiership or championship.
A Gemini, "God" is a wonderful experience when you play "Scorpions" play, will turn anything bad against this team in order to be incur the wrath of my football lovers. the whole country into a grave yard, "a mourning period". the Brazilian samba dancers will envy the dance steps of both the young boys and girls singing: "ho, ho ho ho, ha, ha, ha, Therefore, to make friends with Gambians is so easy, just pick up a football topic!
BEACHES
There is only one cycle of rainy which starts around June and ends around October. It is not hot during the rainy periods, unlike other countries that experience cold periods.
The weather experiences erratic changes sometimes. The beaches are visiting tourists that want to experience the beauty of the sun, the sea and the sand of The Gambia.
Most White tourists called "Toubabs" are usually welcome at these beaches that have attractive traditional bars with natural There are several beaches along this line. juice, canned drinks, barbecue and special packages for visitors.
The menace of "bumsters" have been curtailed and there are tourist police patrolling most of the busy beaches to deter the "unsolicited friends". The beaches are besieged by almost all Gambians during festive periods or during musical concerts or shows.
FESTIVE PERIODS
A visitor arriving The Gambia around Easter or Christmas will think Gambians are Christians, with the celebration and partying. Similarly, around the Muslim festivals of "Koriteh or Tobaski" will give one the impression that there is no single Christian in town.
The local artists are adored, some of what are Jalibah Kuyateh, Titi Kololi, Freakie Joe, Asan Njie, Olugander and Sambou to mention a few.
Some of the young men that are not used to these dancers, dare not challenge these women in a dancing competition, if they do not want to be hospitalized.
There are several video rental shops to pick the latest Nigerian films from. Most of the banks and hotels show foreign channels like DSTV, CNN, AlJAZEERA , EUROSPORT etc.
PAID WORK IN THE GAMBIA
Except for ECOWAS nationalities, that are allowed to work freely in some key government sectors like Education and Judiciary, other nationalities are only to work as expatriate and have to go through a scrutiny and get approval from the immigration department, before they can be permitted to work with the government.
Opening existing all year round for qualified teachers in Senior secondary schools all over the country.
Most of the vacancies are usually filled by Nigerians, Ghanaians, Senegalese, Sierra-Leoneans, Liberians and a handful of other ECOWAS nationals. Openings also exist for lecturers in University of The Gambia, several professional training institutes and other tertiary institutions like Management Development Institute (MDI), Gambia College and Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI).
Most of the secondary schools in the provinces are in need of teachers rather teachers rather to transfer to the urban cities leaving the rural villages without qualified teaching force.
Government subsidized schools remission package for non-Gambian teachers are between D 3, 500-D 4,000 per shift (Morning or atern) Depending on the entry level experience and qualification. The private schools pay between D4,500-D 10,000, depending the school and experience of the teacher.
Most schools have gothered "gambian experience", meaning, they must have taught in the gambia for some years to understand the system. Most government schools prefer to pay full salary for the morning shift and half Most teachers often change school to those paying more, and every term witnesses a mass drift of teachers around .
English language, English Literature, Mathematics, Further Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Agricy (English), Marie International, SBEC, Zenith, SOS, Scanaid and West African International. Linguistics and sciences are the preferred subjects many in high demand. Science, Applied Electricity etc, are "hot cake" subjects for most schools.
ECOWAS qualified teachers (M.Sc, B. Sc. and HND holders in the subjects listed above) are secondary participants in secondary schools in The Gambia.
Other professionals needed to work in the private sectors are:
1. Lawyers with LL.b degree that have successfully completed Law school and called to Bar to work as
Magistrates / Judges with the Ministry of Justice.
2. Professional Graphic & Website Designers.
3. Professional Advertisers.
4. Desktop & Laptop Repair Technicians.
5. Automobile Technicians.
6. Theater Arts & Dramatic artists.
7. Film Directors & Producers.
8. Professional Actors & Actresses.
9. Radio & TV Program Presenters.
10. Fish Breeding & Farming
11. Aquarium Making & Gold Fish Rearing.
12. Leadership Development Trainers.
13. Trainers in unique skills & vocations.
14. Cottage Industry set-up trainers (Body creams, soaps, cartons, shoe polish etc.)
Most of these Nigerian banks are opening up branches and will need more staff.
The non Governmental Organizations, NGOs are allowed to bring in their Temporary Pension for not hiring Gambians. personnel.
For holiday makers, i will recommend recommend visiting this small but unique country for those in search of a Peaceful, Affordable and Memorable African Retreat ( PAMAR!)
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
1. ECOWAS CITIZENS
Other sectors like Real Estate & Properties, Mining Industry, Hotel & Tourism, Health, Education, Manufacturing and Agro -allied Sectors are key areas to go into and get government incentive, in tax relief and total support.
With ECOWAS citizens enjoy free movement of persons and goods within the 16 countries block, the required capital required to re-locate to the Gambia to work, live, invest or holiday is far less than what is required to settle down in in ECOWAS countries. With the electricity tariffs coming down (thanks to the government initiative), NAWEC, the electricity company is doing her best to guarantee stable supply of electricity and many businesses strictly rely on this stable electricity supply.
I have not noticed or witness or hear about armed robbery attacks in the last six years. I only read in one of the newspapers, one or two times, about such attacks in the provinces some some years ago. People move about without fear of molestation or attack. Petty mobile phone theft are usually common.
The residential homes are affordable, and rents of one to three months Advance payment, are demanded. For as little as D500 per month, a room can be rented around the busy areas like Brikama, Latrikunda, Lamin, Tabokoto, Wellingara and Coastal road areas.
ECOWAS citizens can enter and settle in the country with opportunities to start small businesses.
For these wise residents in the country, there are several businesses to choose from and do effortlessly in this investment friendly country. Anyone coming to The Gambia for the first time, must first of all plan and prepare, knowing what to do and where to stay and having adequate information about the culture and business climate.
2. WORLDWIDE INVESTORS (MEDIUM / LARGE SCALE BUSINESSES)
The specific areas, wise investors, can rush into invest investment, from our detailed research findings are:
A) Setting up a private University with residential campus to attract all ECOWAS citizens.
B) Eateries like MacDonald & # 39; s, Chicken George, Mr. Briggs, Sweet Sensation, Tantalizers, TFC, etc.
C) Botanical Garden / Love Garden around the Tourist areas.
D) Building low Cost Homes to be sold or rented out to people.
E) Ground nut processing factory.
F) Feed Mill for Poultry, Rabbitry and Turkey Production.
G) Cashew Processing Factory (CNS Oil, brake oil, glue, rubber, electrical wires etc).
H) Natural Juice canning factory (Fruits like mangoes, orange, lime etc abound).
I) Fresh Flower production and export.
J) Fish Canning / Food packaging for export.
The Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zones Agency, (GIPFZA) welcome investors with unique offers of tax. There are other businesses we have surveyed to be potential instant money earners. relief, government support and non-bureaucratic processing of necessary documents to allow for quick set-up and investment in The Gambia.
To have a fair idea of the business climate, I recommend that all potential investors read the latest business directory (The Gambia Business Directory).
INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
The Gambia, though small, but has a robust economy with fourteen commercial banks, four GSM companies, a good number of airlines plying the subregion and the outside world. There are more than five daily newspapers, around eight radio stations and many hotels of international standards including the 5-star Sheraton Hotel.
Clean, fresh and treated pipe borne water is available to most homes 24hrs uninterrupted .
The real estate business is enjoying a great boom with 30% return annually on investments, and the Meltdown phenomenon is not easily noticeable in The Gambia.
However, the Gambia is a tax based economy, the government makes substantial earnings from tourism and exportation of agricultural commodities like Groundnut, Fishes, Cotton and solid minerals.
New buildings are coming up daily and it is common sight, to see most of the property owners advertising their phone contacts for those interested in renting or leasing these properties from high rise buildings in Senegambia axis, Kairaba, Fajara, West Field, Tallinding, Tabokoto, Abuko, Lamin, Yundum etc.
Gambians in diaspora are rushing home to invest in this high yielding property sector. A visitor that last visited the country a year ago, will notice a remarkable difference in this infrastructural developments. The Gambia is a clean country, especially with the introduction of the monthly cleaning exercises, called "SETSETAL", which is a special cleaning day for everyone on the last Saturday of the month between the hours of 8-1pm and thereafter there is free movement.
Municipal officials go around to ensure the wastes are properly arranged and ensuring that the law, that all shops and businesses most be closed and no movement of commercial vehicles, until the end of the cleaning exercise.
There are various health centers, well spread around the country with ambulances standing by to quickly evacuate emergencies to Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, RVTH, Banjul where complicated groups are are taken.
ECOWAS citizens must take vaccinations against yellow fever, meningitis, Polio etc and ensuring these are stamped on their Yellow Card, this is even more more seriously, when traveling By road through Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal to The Gambia. Not having a valid Yellow card could cost you for fortune in fines you & # 39; ll be asked to Pay!
Tourist visiting The Gambia is advised to have a Travel Insurance when visiting
Transportation within the country is affordable. One, is the commercial bus, that only allow maximum of three passengers on a row which is convenient, unlike four on a row in several other countries. This type of buses go around the major destinations like Banjul to Serrekunda (D6), Banjul to Tabokoto (D10), Banjul to Brikama (D15), Serrekunda to Senegambia (D5) etc.
The last category, are "Town Trip". The last category, are the green painted and branded "Tourist Taxis" for tourists from and to the airport, hotel areas, most beaches and historical sites for new visitors. They are more expensive than the yellow painted ones.
From Tabokoto, Lamin, West (Exception when it is very important, first time visitors are, however, encouraged to avoid going out around the rush hours, like 7-8 am and 4-6pm, especially when commuters are going to or returning from work. The bus-stops are usually congested and the traffic chaotic around these periods. field, Serrekunda and Brikama in the morning to Banjul and returning back home in the evening is always very hectic and expensive to take a taxi.
There are many well organized tour operators with luxurious air conditioned buses to pick up their visits through them. They also partners with most people on tours to historical sites and around the cities.
From area to ferry services available to transport people across the River Gambia. From Barra to Banjul is D 25 only. Visitors can come in to the country either by land The Gambian border with Senegal at Hamdallah, or from Guinea and Cassamace, Senegal through Basse. By air is through the airport at Yundum. The Banjul International Airport, one of the best in the subregion with the longest run-way and modern radial facilities installed.
However, tourist taxis are available any time for between D500-D800 depending on the distance, usually between 15 - 30 km from the airport.
Bank PHB and Trust bank also have their ATMs at the airport.
After arrival in the country, when you hear "Nagadef?", Meaning how are you, just answer "Jamarek", meaning i & # 39; m fine. After a shake, say "Jerejef", meaning thank you.
Jerejef, Jarama, Baraka (meaning thank you in 3 different local languages).
