For expatriates taking up a position in Africa, limited or no spousal employment opportunity is an issue that affects both employees and employers. For the expatriate employee, a non-working spouse or partner may result in increased family income. In addition, the lack of employment opportunities for spouses is more often a source of marital dissatisfaction that is known to be the main reason for unsuccessful assignments (even in cases where the dual-career couple remains in country, there is evidence that the grantee’s productivity suffers as the spouse struggles to adjust to not working and its effects on their sense of worth and identity). In recent years, and largely due to the increase in the number of dual-career couples, companies have begun to design strategies and policies to improve their recruitment and retention strategies by focusing on how to better support dual-career couples. Despite a company’s commitment to formulating an effective spousal support and employment strategy and policy, the job market in Africa presents unique challenges for dual-career couples. Unlike North America, Europe or even Asia, the local job market in Africa offers fewer opportunities. One only has to look beyond the mainland unemployment rate and youth unemployment to see a very tight labor market. Even so, there are differences in opportunities between countries that range from dismal in places like Niger and Chad to promising in countries like Kenya and Nigeria. And before any business rushes to hire and spend money (something I don’t recommend!) on a consulting firm to help secure a job for a spouse, they need to understand what some of the data is and where it can have an impact. more significant.
the best places
Your best bet for spousal employment opportunities are countries with large multinationals and international organizations, including embassies. Ideal countries also have strong service sectors and favorable local labor laws. Using the number of international NGOs and international multinationals in each country, the size and quality of the service sector as measured by the number of tourists, the quality and depth size of international schools, the quality of Internet connectivity, a important element for self-employment. or telecommuting, and local laws relevant to the employment of non-nationals, I have identified the following countries as presenting the best opportunities for spousal employment: Kenya; Ethiopia; Accra; Mauricio; South Africa; Botswana; Morocco; Gabon; Senegal; Tunisia; and Nigerian. Of these, Kenya and Ethiopia appear to offer the greatest potential given the large number of international organizations in these two countries. Kenya, for example, is home to the fourth largest office of the United Nations with a few thousand employees, while Ethiopia is home to several regional African organizations, all of which are potential sources of employment. Despite its large multinational corporations and vibrant economy, South Africa has relatively limited opportunities in large part due to its highly protective employment laws that favor the employment of nationals over expatriates.
Regardless of their destination, the majority of private sector jobs in Africa are created by the mining, extractive and oil industries. While these hold job promise, it’s also important to remember that they will most likely require specialized academic degrees or technical training in these areas. In second-tier countries, national and international NGOs, as well as international schools, have some employment potential for spouses and partners. This is because schools and NGOs have high turnover and are always happy to enlist the services of qualified spouses or partners. If you choose to explore employment with local NGOs, you should be aware that pay will be based on local wages and in some cases you will be required to work in a language other than English.
Main considerations
The organizations that have been most successful in securing employment for spouses and partners are those that have identified such employment opportunities within their own organizations. It is true that there are risks of abuse: conflict of interest and cronyism, but that is precisely what good policies can and should address. Companies looking for successful role models can look at the US, French, and Canadian embassies, as well as aid agencies that reserve or designate some spouse-only jobs. The advantage of this is that companies take matters into their own hands and are not bound by local economic or labor laws. The obvious drawback is that there may not be enough jobs for all eligible spouses, hence the need for a well-designed spousal employment policy to ensure fairness and prevent abuse.
Making the best of your lack of employment
Volunteer: If you are unemployed, you should look for volunteer opportunities that allow you to learn new skills or maintain your professional skills. The best places to look for such opportunities are the hundreds of NGOs found in every country. They would be delighted to have someone who can help with marketing, using new technology, communication and networking. In addition, hundreds of technical schools and international schools are ideal places to network and gain experience. Volunteering can make the spouse feel part of the community and can help speed up the pace of adaptation and integration into the local culture. Care should be taken to check whether volunteering requires a permit, as is the case in several countries in Africa.
Learn a new skill, whether it be drumming, basketry, jewellery, the local language, batik, pottery, this would be the best investment of your time abroad and possibly even a good investment for your future freelance jobs if you get good results. in whatever you are learning. In fact, I recommend it even if you are employed. There are a couple of reasons for this, in general the session fees are incredibly affordable compared to what they would cost in Europe or the US and you could even have private (or very small group) lessons at home. While in Benin, a colleague and I paid the equivalent of $5 each for an hour’s percussion lesson. The drummer came to our house and with only 2 students we learned quickly. Today, I can impress my friends by playing the drums. I’ve even played drums at public events and my only regret, a big one, is that I should have done it for the full five years I was there to make sure I could make a decent living playing drums after retirement.
Of course, another good use of your time could be taking classes to earn or complete a degree, depending on the availability of courses in the country or reliable and effective technology to enroll in online courses.
additional resources
Below are resources that can be used to help develop strategies for spousal or partner employment in Africa.
permissions foundation
DevEx