Emmanuel, a Ghanaian currently living in Weyburn, Canada, was a guest on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide Show with DJ Nyaami. Before settling in Weyburn, he lived in Toronto and later moved to Regina, Saskatchewan. He has been in Canada for two years now.
Back in Ghana, Emmanuel was a trained teacher at Kumasi Academy (KUMACA) and was also involved in real estate, which supported his livelihood. He got married in 2017, and within three years, he and his wife had two or three children. Although his salary could cover basic expenses, he was unhappy with the quality of schools his children attended. He couldn’t afford the better schools he wished for them, so he made the tough decision to relocate to Canada, hoping for a better future for his family.
He emphasized that surviving in Ghana requires multiple sources of income — one job is never enough. He used to assist friends visiting from abroad by driving them around at his own expense, only for them to give him GHS 1,000–2,000 when leaving, which he found insignificant considering their struggles. This made him realize that life abroad isn’t as rosy as many people think.
Determined, Emmanuel prepared thoroughly and even took on debt before traveling to Canada. However, upon arrival, the reality hit hard. Friends he counted on for support gave him excuses, and the old friend who initially hosted him in Toronto couldn’t keep him for long. He had come under the pretext of schooling but decided not to pursue it initially. It took him a while to find a place to live, and all his dreams of returning to Ghana with capital quickly faded.
At the time he left Ghana, his wife was pregnant, and now they have four children. Sadly, some people who had been in Canada for 7–8 years shared discouraging experiences with him. After researching, he discovered that the cost of living in Saskatchewan was lower, so he moved there and started doing agency jobs. Eventually, a company offered him a permanent position with the chance to do overtime.
He also considered extreme options like contract marriage or seeking asylum to stay legally, but being already married, those weren’t viable. He ended up using the borrowed money from Ghana to enroll in a university course to obtain legal documents (residence status). Still, he discovered that completing school would only earn him about $23 per hour, which wasn’t enough. To make a real impact, he would need to add nursing and study for another two years — a 3–4-year journey in total — to earn around $45 per hour.
Emmanuel advised that the notion of becoming a millionaire abroad is unrealistic unless you have multiple income streams. “What you work for is what you earn – nothing more,” he said. He believes travel abroad is best suited for single people without dependents.
He concluded by noting that while Ghana has money, businesses often collapse quickly, forcing people to constantly start over. He also observed that many white people in Canada are sick due to poor eating habits and cautioned Ghanaians to be mindful of what they eat and to opt for organic foods whenever possible.
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