Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Gambia (dalasi; D)
30.8
31.1
31.9
25.3
40.7
49.7
36.3
Ghana (cedi; C)
1.9
1.9
1.9
1.5
2.5
3
2.2
Guinea (Guinean franc; GF)
6.9
7
7.2
5.7
9.2
11.2
8.2
Guinea-Bissau (CFA)
497.5
501.4
515.6
408.2
655.96
802.5
585.1
Liberia (Liberian dollar; L$)
72
72.6
74.6
59 95
116.4
84.7
Mali (CFA)
497.5
501.4
515.6
408.2
655.96
802.5
585.1
Mauritania (ouguiya; UM)
294.7
297.1
305.4
241.8
389
475.4
346.6
Niger (CFA)
497.5
501.4
515.6
408.2
655.96
802.5
585.1
Nigeria (naira; N)
155.7
156.9
161.3
127.7
205.5
251.1
183.1
Senegal (CFA)
497.5
501.4
515.6
408.2
655.96
802.5
585.1
Sierra Leone (Leone; Le)
4300
4334.1
4456.5
527.8
5675.1
6936.3
5 56.81
Togo (CFA)
497.5
501.4
515.6
408.2
655.96
802.5
585.1
For current exchange rates see
www.xe.com
Money
Although ATMs are changing things a little, cash remains king in West Africa. And not just any cash: don't bring any-
thing except euros in former French or Portuguese colonies, while US dollars and, to a lesser extent, UK pounds are pre-
ferred in Anglophone countries. Using a credit/debit card to withdraw from ATMs is increasingly possible, thereby al-
lowing you to rely on this in combination with cash; Visa remains more widely accepted than MasterCard.
18 COUNTRIES, 11 CURRENCIES
The difficulties of juggling the currencies of the 18 countries in West Africa is ameliorated by the fact that eight
countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Togo) use the West
African CFA (Communauté Financière Africaine) franc, which can be used (or exchanged for local currency) in
some other countries, such as The Gambia and Ghana. Many people will also accept it as valid currency, espe-
cially in taxis or at market stalls, in The Gambia and Guinea.
The CFA is fixed against (and supported by) the euro at a rate of 655.967:1, making it a 'hard' currency. One
result of this arrangement is that most banks change euros into CFA without charging a fee or commission. That
said, at hotels and foreign exchange bureaus, expect rates of 650 or lower, and plan on paying commissions when
changing euro (or any other currency) travellers cheques into CFA.
In recent years, the political leaders of The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Sierra Leone - the majority of
West Africa's non-CFA block - have spoken of moving towards their own common currency, to be known as the
'eco', which would later merge with the CFA and thereby create a single currency throughout most of West
Africa. In the meantime , countries outside the CFA zone each have their own individual currencies.
Cameroon, as well as neighbouring Central African countries, uses the Central African CFA franc, which is
linked to the euro at the same rate as the West African CFA franc. However, you can't make payments with Cent-
ral African CFA in the West African CFA zone or vice versa.
