“I could’ve been making money doing this from day one.”
— James, after fixing a leaking faucet for a friend in Accra
The realization hit James three months after he’d settled into his new life in Accra. Like many others who seek income opportunities as expats in Ghana, he hadn’t expected to stumble into one by fixing a friend’s leaking faucet.
Standing in a friend’s living room, watching them struggle with a leaky faucet, he felt that familiar tug of recognition.
“I used to fix these all the time back in Toronto,” he said, almost to himself.
His friend looked up, desperation in her eyes. “Can you fix it? The plumber I called wants to charge me triple because I’m an expat, and he won’t come for another week.”
Two hours later, with the leak fixed and his friend’s profuse thanks ringing in his ears, James sat on his balcony overlooking the city lights and had that moment so many newcomers to Ghana eventually experience:
“I could’ve been making money doing this from day one.”
The Expat’s Delayed Epiphany
This story repeats itself in different forms across Ghana’s expat community. It’s not something you notice during your first exhilarating weeks of relocation—when you’re busy navigating bureaucracy, finding housing, and adjusting to the rhythm of West African life.
The revelation comes later, in those moments when you:
- Watch someone struggle with a task you mastered years ago
- Realize that a common service from back home doesn’t exist here
- Find yourself repeatedly asked, “Do you know anyone who can help with this?”
That’s when it dawns on you: income opportunities for expats in Ghana aren’t always about launching big ventures. They’re often hiding in plain sight — within the everyday skills, tools, and knowledge you already have.
It’s Not About What Ghana Lacks—It’s About What You Bring
Ghana brims with talent, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit. What creates these income opportunities isn’t a deficiency in local capabilities—it’s the unique perspective and skills you carry from your previous life.
Kwame, who relocated from London last year, explains it this way: “I didn’t realize how valuable my business writing skills would be here. Back home, I was just another copywriter. Here, I help local businesses communicate professionally with international partners, and they’re happy to pay premium rates for it.”
The systems, certifications, and service expectations you take for granted in North America or Europe are still evolving in Ghana. This creates natural niches where your foreign experience becomes a marketable asset.
“I Wish I Had Known”: Real Examples From Real Expats
Sarah arrived from California with dreams of starting a small boutique hotel. While navigating her property purchase, she noticed something strange: there were hardly any professional home inspectors. And the ones that were around were very expensive.
“I was expected to just… trust that everything was fine,” she recounts, still bewildered. “In California, you’d never buy property without a detailed inspection report. Six months later, I took an online certification course, and now I offer pre-purchase inspections to other expats and Ghanaians buying higher-end properties. It’s not what I came here to do, but it pays my bills while I work on my bigger dream.”
Michael brought his diagnostic car scanner from Germany, which he said was “just in case.” Now he runs a weekend side business checking used vehicles for expats before they make purchases.
“Last month I saved someone from buying a car with a catastrophic engine problem,” he says proudly. “The seller had temporarily masked the issue—something that happens everywhere, not just in Ghana. My client paid me $50 for the scan and saved $5,000 on a bad purchase.”
Even services as seemingly simple as document authentication have become steady income streams for those who recognized the opportunity. Amelia, a former paralegal, now offers mobile notary and document preparation services across Accra.
“People are so grateful,” she says. “I travel to them, I know exactly what forms need to be completed for different situations, and I charge fair rates. What looks like a basic service to me feels like professional magic to someone struggling with unfamiliar paperwork.”
Seeing Ghana Through Opportunity-Colored Glasses
“Each frustration I encountered was actually a business opportunity in disguise.”
— Rachel, expat from Boston turned personal concierge
If you’re still in the planning phase of your move to Ghana, you have a valuable advantage—the chance to arrive prepared.
When you visit for reconnaissance, don’t just focus on where you’ll live or what the beaches look like. Pay attention to the friction points in daily life:
- What tasks seem unnecessarily complicated?
- What services are people performing by hand that could be improved with simple technology?
- Where do you see people paying premium prices due to limited options?
- What skills do you possess that seem rare or valuable in this context?
Rachel, who moved from Boston two years ago, shares her approach: “I came for a two-week visit before my move and made a point of trying to accomplish everyday tasks—banking, shopping for household items, getting minor repairs done. Each frustration I encountered was a business opportunity in disguise. Now I run a personal concierge service for new arrivals, and my calendar is booked solid three months out.”
Small Services, Big Income Opportunities for Expats in Ghana
While many expatriates arrive with grand visions—real estate developments, import/export businesses, or agricultural ventures—the most consistent early income often comes from simpler sources.
These aren’t glamorous businesses that will make headlines, but they provide reliable cash flow while you establish yourself:
- Skills you already possess from your professional life
- Knowledge that seems basic to you but is specialized here
- Services that fill small but critical gaps in the local market
- Tools or equipment that aren’t widely available locally
Daniel, who relocated from Manchester, puts it succinctly: “I spent my first year chasing big opportunities and burning through savings. Then I realized people would pay good money for me to set up proper bookkeeping systems for their small businesses—something I’d done for decades as an accountant. Now I have consistent income from something that requires minimal investment and leverages what I already know.”
Preparation Is Everything
“What looks like a basic service to me feels like professional magic to someone struggling with unfamiliar paperwork.”
— Amelia, former paralegal offering mobile notary services
The common thread among successful expat entrepreneurs in Ghana isn’t necessarily brilliance or novelty—it’s preparation and observation.
Those who thrive financially tend to be those who:
- Researched market gaps before arriving
- Brought key tools or equipment that would be expensive or difficult to import later
- Took time to understand where their existing skills intersect with local needs
- Started small and built a reputation through quality service
- Connected with both expat and local communities to understand diverse needs
Those who succeed financially often have researched income opportunities for expats in Ghana before they arrive, not just in theory, but by observing real gaps in daily life.
Building Your Ghana Income Strategy
As you plan your move to Ghana, consider adding these steps to your preparation:
- Skills inventory: What do you know how to do that others would value?
- Tools assessment: What equipment could you bring that would be useful?
- Service gap research: Connect with expats already in Ghana to identify unmet needs
- Certification check: Before moving, are there quick certifications you could obtain that would credential you for service work?
- Networking plan: How will you connect with potential clients once you arrive?
The opportunity to create income in Ghana doesn’t require massive capital investment or revolutionary ideas. Often, it simply requires recognizing the value in what you already know and bringing it to a market where that knowledge isn’t yet commoditized.
As James discovered with his impromptu plumbing repair, sometimes the most valuable skills are the ones you take for granted—until you find yourself in a place where they’re suddenly in high demand.
The Listings Pro GH team created this article to help expats thrive financially and personally in their new Ghanaian home. Connect with our community of successful expatriate entrepreneurs for more in-depth guides on building income streams in Ghana.
