Local Information for Travellers

Language

English is the official language used in administration and business. Ghana has a lot of local languages however, the most widely spoken local languages in Accra are Twi and Ga.

Communication

The international country code for Ghana is 233.

Youo can purchase a sim card/ starter pack/ chip from any of the following mobile GSM/CDMA/3G service providers. Namely: Vodafon, MTN, Tigo, Kasapa and Zain for use in one’s mobile phone handset. A sim card cost about 1 GHC on average.

If you already have a Zain sim card from one of their roaming countries (see http://www.zain.com/muse/obj/lang.default/portal.view/content/About%20us... for list of One Network Countries) or an MTN card from Benin, Cameroon and Nigeria you can use your existing sim card, make calls at local rates and recharge your call credit with local recharge cards.

Currency

The unit of currency of Ghana, introduced in July, 2007 is the GHC (Ghanaian Cedis). The notes are in denominations of GHC 1 (One Ghana Cedi), GHC 5 (Five Ghana Cedis), GHC 10 (Ten Ghana Cedis), GHC 20 (Twenty Ghana Cedis) and GHS 50 (Fifty Ghana Cedis). Coins in circulation are: 1 Gp (One Ghana Pesewa), 5 Gp (Five Ghana Pesewas), 10 Gp (Ten Ghana Pesewas), 20Gp (Twenty Ghana Pesewas) and GHS 1 (One Ghana Cedi).

Exchange Rates

The equivalent with the US Dollars (USD) is: 1.45 (GHC) = $1 (USD) while that with the Euro is: 2GHC = 1 Euro. Foreign currencies can be exchanged at forex bureaus and banks. For current exchanges rates, please check from: http://www.bog.gov.gh. Please carry US dollars for convenience.

Credit Cards

The most widely accepted credit cards are American Express, Mastercard and Visa which can be used at leading hotels, banks, airlines and supermarkets.

Health & Medication

NO SHOTS are required, but Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended for visitors to Ghana. Travellers are also advised to bring along enough mosquito repellent and sufficient personal medication (if needed regularly). Immunisation against typhoid, diphtheria, polio, meningitis, tetanus and tuberculosis is recommended.

Visitors are advised to drink bottled water, which is widely available.

Insurance

Please note that FOSSFA does not insure participants while attending the workshop/conference, or travel to and from Ghana, and cannot be held responsible for any expenses arising out of sickness, injury or other disability.

Time & Weather

Ghana has a tropical climate and is usually hot and humid but temperatures vary with season. Since Ghana is only a few degrees north of the equator, the only seasonal changes are the wet and dry seasons. Two rainy seasons occur: April – July and September – November. It is recommended you carry an umbrella.

The weather averages for Accra in May are between 24°C and 35°C and humidity is high. Lightweight clothing is recommended; however, it is usually cool at night and early in the morning. A current weather update can be found at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/114

The TimeZone for Ghana is Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+0).

Electricity

Electrical supply is 220 - 240 volts and 50/60 Hz. The plugging system in Accra is the British 3 pin rectangular blade plug (Type G) see http://kropla.com/!g.htm Please carry appriopriate adaptors for your electronic equipment.