Ghana is one of the best performing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country managed to overcome the global crisis almost without struggles but still finds itself among the 40 poorest countries in the world.
Ghana has observed huge economic growth over the past decades, with the service sector being the driver behind its success. It is now considered a lower middle income economy. Nevertheless, the agricultural sector is still the largest with more than 50% of people working there. Ghana’s labour force is estimated at around 10.5 million people.
Although it is among the 20 fastest growing economies in the world, the country is still dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Another problem is that wages are not growing in proportion to the economy.
Industries like oil production with newly found offshore resources, oil refinery and aluminium smelting have played an important role in the country’s development since they virtually remained unaffected by the global economic crisis. Ghana is also a huge exporter of cocoa and gold. Apart from that, mining and light manufacturing as well as the recently booming mobile phone industry, tourism and the service sector are among the country’s most promising fields.
Although the agricultural sector, forestry and fishing are still popular these are not usually the kind of jobs that are attractive to expats. The ever common possibility of teaching English falls away since it is Ghana’s native language. The growing energy sector may offer chances for expat employment. Most of Ghana’s electricity derives from the damming of Lake Volta.