Kofi is a Ghanaian living in Germany. He traveled there on a visitor’s visa after paying an agent about GHS 150,000. However, just three months after arriving, he realized he was wasting his time. Before traveling, he owned a shop in Ghana and worked in decoration for funerals and weddings, which brought him good income. But he still chose to travel because of what he had heard about life abroad. According to him, many of those claims turned out to be false. “The idea that there’s plenty of money abroad is not true,” he said. “The system is designed so you don’t really make or lose money, but there’s no freedom or comfort.”
In an interview with DJ Nyaami on SVTV Africa’s Matter Dey show, Kofi explained that people blame him for not doing proper research. His brother was already in Germany, but he didn’t inform him when processing the visa. “I’m going through a lot,” he said. He works in a warehouse and often returns home late and exhausted. When he shares how much he earns, people are shocked because the salary is very low.
He added that many Ghanaians who have lived in Germany for over 15 years still live hand-to-mouth with no savings. He shared the story of a friend who lives in a woman’s house, hoping she will have a child for him so he can get documents. The woman sends him on errands all the time. Kofi said he has already informed his wife that he is returning to Ghana.
His visa was valid for only two weeks, yet he paid GGHS150,000 for it. The same agent who brought him to Germany also traveled but couldn’t stay and has since returned to Ghana. Kofi noted that obtaining documents illegally costs around €18,000—money he believes could be better used to start a business.
He recalled how a Chinese supplier in Ghana who provided him with diapers for resale advised him not to travel. The business was profitable, and the supplier questioned why he wanted to go to Europe. Kofi was driving a CR-V in Ghana and has a supportive wife who currently manages his business. The profit she makes in Ghana is equivalent to his full two-month salary in Germany.
“If you make between GHS 4,000 and GHS 5,000 a month in Ghana, stay and manage your life. There’s money in Ghana,” he said. He traveled early this year and has spent about four months in Germany. His wife understood his situation. They had one shop and a wholesale business in Ghana. Before traveling, she advised him to invest the money into expanding locally, but he insisted on going abroad. Now he regrets it.
Kofi said he couldn’t save as much as he expected. After 11 months in Germany, he has saved only €4,000. He shared examples of others who made similar mistakes: one man sold his house in Atasamanso to travel, while another took a loan of GHS 150,000 to come to Germany. “Abrokyire is only good for people in Ghana who are extremely poor,” he stated. According to him, even the ‘borgas’ who build houses in Ghana often take huge loans abroad and still struggle, working even when sick.
Kofi concluded that life in Germany offers no happiness for him. He works eight hours, goes home, and repeats the routine. “It’s just work and home—no happiness,” he said.
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