New members of the Cape Verde forum, introduce yourselves here - 2021

Hi
My dream is to move to Sal and build a  Spa beauty in the Island.
I born in Portugal but all my family are from Cabe Verde I'm familiar with Culture and the language.
I live in Ingland for 20 years but since I went to Cabe Verde 2 years ago for the first time I completely felt in love with people and the place.
Having a Beauty Spa for turismo in Sal do you think the Island have this sort of business potential?

Thank you and all the best.
Isabel

Bonjour  je me nome Dion jean Ferdinand je suis artiste chorégraphe chanteur je voulais avoir plus d’info sur cape vert afin de pouvoir effectuer un voyage pour installer ma troupe aider mois à mieux connaître cape vert cher amie

English please

Hello my name is Dion jean Ferdinand I am an artist choreographer singer I wanted to have more info on cape vert in order to be able to travel to set up my troupe to help me get to know cape vert better dear friend

Hi there so how  I do immigration to the Cape ? and get job let me know regards 😁😁

Hello Alami,

Relocating to Cape Verde requires that you perform a three-step process. First you must come to Cape Verde as a temporary visitor (tourist) upon which you will be given a 30-day temporary vistor's visa.

AFTER you have already arrived in CV as a tourist, the second step is to change your immigration status to obtain a temporary residency visa. This will allow you to reside in Cape Verde as long as you maintain your temporary residency.

For the third and final step, after you have maintained your temporary residency status (by renewing your residency visa) for 5 years, you can apply to become a permanent resident or even a citizen if you choose.

There are a number of procedures you must follow and specific documents you must produce in each step. In particular, the second step is the most involved and there are several ways you can qualify to become a resident including retirement, student, employment, investment and business ownership. You will need to choose a path to residency and each path has different requirements and different documents.

It is too much to cover here. Contact me via private message if you need more details.

Regards,

Angelo

alamialami77 wrote:

Hi there so how  I do immigration to the Cape ? and get job let me know regards 😁😁

sir. can we be friends. and I have some important questions could you please explain to me. so my question. how is the living and life in Cape Verde ? is it cheaper than African countries and Asian countries and southern American countries? like me single person how much cost me per month in $$ like renting small single room? and food and drink. me no smoking and no drinking alcohol. so for example 300 us  dollars per month that's enough money to survive? and other question. how is the country? is it safe and no crimes? because I'm very quiet person and I don't like troubles. also how is the food? is it clean? because I'm currently in Egypt and food over there is very dirty and have stone in everything like bread and salads soup etc. also my question I have Jordanian passport and I checked in passport information I can enter the country without Visa and they granting me 1 month residence . so If I stay longer like 5 or forever they granting me citizenship? how is the law in Cape Verde ? for  foreigners??😁😁and i'm atheist can i get freedom? no one force me to follow doctrine.?😁😁

Hello all,
My friends call me Ken or Kenny, I'm a  47yr old male who's traveled a lot with my work, some of the countries or places I've lived in for say over a year are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Holland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Shetland & of course my native home Scotland.
I am currently here to read and understand a bit more about your lovely home and hope to visit at some point in the very near future for prospect purposes, but for now, it's purely a supporting portfolio I'm building before a 1st time visit.
Without giving to much away at this point, I aim to start a business that will bring a particular type of visitor, a visitor who will explore & support the local communities, traditions, culture, crafts along with the  natural beauty and wildlife, whilst simultaneously contributing to the conservation of it.
I'm currently a single fella, so won't be able to do it alone, local help will be needed and on a full time basis.
It's a small project with a small footprint, but one which I think will bring something to your home that agrees with everyone in some shape or form.

I look forward to chatting with some of you over the coming weeks and months and hope that one day it can materialise into perhaps a meet & a handshake.

Cheers for now
K.

Hi Ken,

You're certainly well travelled. Would it be safe to say that Cape Verde be your first long term venture into the third world? It would certainly make for an interesting and possibly rewarding change in perspective from many of the countries you've already viisited.

Do you speak other languages besides English? Portuguese (and the local variation, Kriolu) is the primary language spoken here except for the sun & sand tourism islands, and those are not in the mould of what you seek...sustainable tourism. A project in sustainable/rural tourism as you described would definitely be well worth it. It sounds exciting too. You would have to decide on which specific island to focus, but there are several options: Santiago, Fogo, Brava, São Nicolau and Santo Antão. When you're ready to share specifics, I could certainly help you choose the best island for such a venture. I already have one client whom I have advised and they have set up a beautiful ecolodge in rural Fogo.

Finally, when you say that you would need local help on a fulltime basis, are you talking about companionship or a team of workers? LOL. Either way, it's fairly easy to secure such help.

Ken, I look forward to hearing more about your plans and I'd be happy to help you during the relocation as well as development and implementation of your exciting project.

Regards,

Angelo

mrkmaclennan wrote:

Hello all,
My friends call me Ken or Kenny, I'm a  47yr old male who's traveled a lot with my work, some of the countries or places I've lived in for say over a year are Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Holland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Shetland & of course my native home Scotland.
I am currently here to read and understand a bit more about your lovely home and hope to visit at some point in the very near future for prospect purposes, but for now, it's purely a supporting portfolio I'm building before a 1st time visit.
Without giving to much away at this point, I aim to start a business that will bring a particular type of visitor, a visitor who will explore & support the local communities, traditions, culture, crafts along with the  natural beauty and wildlife, whilst simultaneously contributing to the conservation of it.
I'm currently a single fella, so won't be able to do it alone, local help will be needed and on a full time basis.
It's a small project with a small footprint, but one which I think will bring something to your home that agrees with everyone in some shape or form.

I look forward to chatting with some of you over the coming weeks and months and hope that one day it can materialise into perhaps a meet & a handshake.

Cheers for now
K.

Hello Angelo, thanks for your reply and positive outlook on my very brief outline.

On the venture front, this would be my first private funded venture anywhere of any duration, I'm just a regular working man, no huge business success or bank account, my only resource outwith my hard earned salary is my knowledge, knowledge that tells me most successful projects are results of teamwork and that's really what I have to establish in the very early stages with those who know CV best, The locals.
I'm not in this to exploit anyone or anywhere and hope to show my gratitude for being allowed to share living somewhere in CV by providing a fair wage for an honest day's work to potentially a variety of local talent in various areas of expertise and personalities, after all, who better to showcase CV and its offerings.So with reference to who I was referring to, innitally a workforce, but now that you mentioned it, I'm certainly open to the romance of meeting a life companion should the right lady cross my path , as long as she doesn't sound like the bagpipes played badly though🙉.
I've picked up bits and bobs of several languages but never Portuguese and certainly not Kriolu, so I better start by learning, manners and orientation is a good start point and build on that as time nears for having to put it into practice for real.
Location is something that I've really no handle on yet in terms of what's possible in CV, ideally I have a costal vision in my mind as that really provides the best of everything for visitors, and my themed idea,ocean on one side and access via land routes to the islands offerings on the other, very appealing to a short term visitor looking to see a beautiful world unlike anywhere they have been before.

So to summarise again, a local faces, skills and personality driven concept provided directed and also part managed daily by myself which remains in good taste to the CV vision now and going forward well into the future.

K👍🏻

How about you Angelo, are you local born and bred or a settler from elsewhere, what's your interest in CV aside sounding like a very pleasant, interesting and knowledgeable contact for now.

***

Hi Kisha,

In which country is your phone number based? In order to call, it is necessary to have the country name so the country calling code can be looked up. For example, the country calling code for Cape Verde is +238.

Thanks,

Angelo

Kyss Major wrote:

Hi I’m Kisha if you’re looking for weekly or monthly rental we have a beautiful 2 bedroom on the island of Maio call ***

Hello my name is Chauncey 24 years old from Maryland USA. I'm am of Liberian and Cape verdean and have plans to relocate and live in Cape Verde permanently. I understand most of everything that I have to do to go and be a resident of Cape Verde BUT I'm in the need for some work when I arrived most likely August 2021. I have about 4 years of working in warehouse and hubs moving boxes and taking inventory. I also have an Merchant Mariner Credential for working on maritime vessels (no experience or STCW training) I've tried to get a job but Covid plus no experience equals bad luck. My CDL A truck driver license I have 11 month of experience but don't know if this skill is needed in Cape Verde. I don't speak Portuguese only know a few phrases but willing and able to learn. I am willing to work any job really as long as it's not illegal. If any one can help me thank you!!

Hi Chauncey,

You're in a tough spot if you're coming to CV for a job. The job situation is nowhere near as good as it is in the US. Even more challenging for you will be the language barrier. It's the biggest issue that you will need to deal with because in the lines of work you describe, you will need to spaek Portuguese or Kriolu and fluently.

Now, the maritime sector is big here because the population is separated into islands and goods and people are constantly in motion between the islands. To work as an able bodied seaman on a ship, you will also need your Seaman's Book and there are definitely jobs to find (except for the language requirement).

There is no market for truckers as the land area is very small and the distances are short. The longest distance between two points on any island is 65 Km in Santiago. Cape Verde actually exports truckers because those skills are in greater demand in Europe and the US.

Same goes for working in warehousing/inventory. There are only a handful of big companies here that would have a need for such workers, so such jobs are few and the labor is over-supplied in the market. Where laborers are needed is in construction. But again, language proficiency will be critical.

Instead of looking for a job, why not start a small business to capitalize on the opportunities here? There are many low-to-no capital businesses you could start. For example, with just $5,000 you could start a tax-free business that would return your investment in 6-12 months and keep on generating that level of income. It would be enough to support your living costs (rent & food). For your info, the top economic sectors are maritime shipping & transport, tourism, construction, technology, agriculture & fishing.

I'm also curious how you came to the conclusion that you already know everything you need to do to become a resident in CV. Where did you get that information as it isn't really published anywhere (none of the online sources I've seen are completely accurate)? Let me know where you got the info and I'll be able to tell you if it's actually correct. You certainly do not want to make mistakes when you apply for residency because it can become quite time consuming and frustrating if you don't get it right the first time. Even the local residents and CV disapora don't know what is needed to obtain residency in CV because they've never had to apply for it.

There is also another option you might consider. Since you are of Cape Verdean ancestry, you may be able to apply for citizenship as you as you arrive here rather than apply for residency. It's much easier if you know how to do it, but will cost you about $250 in application fees.

Hit me up in the private chat for more information and more help.

Regards,

Angelo

Chauncey712 wrote:

Hello my name is Chauncey 24 years old from Maryland USA. I'm am of Liberian and Cape verdean and have plans to relocate and live in Cape Verde permanently. I understand most of everything that I have to do to go and be a resident of Cape Verde BUT I'm in the need for some work when I arrived most likely August 2021. I have about 4 years of working in warehouse and hubs moving boxes and taking inventory. I also have an Merchant Mariner Credential for working on maritime vessels (no experience or STCW training) I've tried to get a job but Covid plus no experience equals bad luck. My CDL A truck driver license I have 11 month of experience but don't know if this skill is needed in Cape Verde. I don't speak Portuguese only know a few phrases but willing and able to learn. I am willing to work any job really as long as it's not illegal. If any one can help me thank you!!

Thanks CVAngelo for the reply. First let me explain my reason for my interest in Cape Verde. Cape Verde seems to be a low crime and low costs type of country in some parts. Here in America I have felling into rough like most however prior to covid I have traveled to 5 countries and found the cost of living is better and quality of life is better especially if you have access to the usd or other first World currency. In my short 24 years of been homeless lived in my car and found it hard to find good paying jobs that cover the bills. That way I got in to the trucking and maritime industries. But still in not happy with high cost in rent car note car insurance gas water bill ECT. I will not comment on the political system. I would love to live more fragile and happy since I am West African I prefer to go there and reconnect if my roots.   As I said I am of West Africa decent. Liberia but I do have Cape Verdean ancestry but only ancestry. I got from some distance family on my mother side and don't know them like that. So citizenship through ancestry is unlikely. Liberia would be ok but if you know the history of Liberia well let's say it's cut from the same cloth as America. Much of the stuff I don't like here is over in liberia and since everyone lives in Monrovia cost of living is high and leaving the capital there isn't any good infrastructure. All the information I got on Cape Verde come from various sources I don't know their accuracy so I will start from the beginning. In the USA we a website call ustravel.gov on the website it says the American citizens don't need a visa if stay is short 30 days all you have to do is register to the airport security before you come to Cape Verde and pay fees they don't mention the amount. Once you are officially in Cape Verde sources say that you need a passport passport photo proof of hotel accommodation and vaild amount of cash in bank they don't mention the amount needed in order to get pass sercutiy. Then sources claim in order to obtain a resident you have to have passport photo passport accommodations and proof of a registered business, property or a job based in Cape Verde as well as pay fees to get residents. They don't mention fee amounts. I want to be property but can't found good information on that. The information I get is mostly European renting airbnbs to tourist. I don't want to be just a tourist. Opening a business same problem little to no information. So jobs is the only option. Some sources claim that Santiago may have some work for English speakers. Some sources claim the Sao Vincent and Brava may have some work for the the maritime. They however don't list any companies. If you can explain if everything I read is accurate and if you a explain what i need to do to in order to open a bussines, buy property or find work I will be greatful. Thanks

Hi Chauncey,

Thanks for the background. You have several question and you have stated a number of informational claims based on what you've been told. Unfortunately, most of the information you have is either outdated, incorrected or partially complete. I have tried to clarify below:

As I said I am of West Africa decent. Liberia but I do have Cape Verdean ancestry but only ancestry. I got from some distance family on my mother side and don't know them like that. So citizenship through ancestry is unlikely.
Citizenship would be impossible unless you had a direct line of ancestry.

In the USA we a website call ustravel.gov on the website it says the American citizens don't need a visa if stay is short 30 days all you have to do is register to the airport security before you come to Cape Verde and pay fees they don't mention the amount.
I presume you are a US citizen and have a US passport, but you did not say anywhere in your post. In reality, no one needs a visa in advance to come to Cape Verde. The visas are issued on arrival. But for Americans, Europeans and citizens of ECOWAS, the visa fee is waived. But they still have to pay the airport security like everyone else. Everyone should pay the airport security fee by pre-registering on the CV Ease eVisa webiste. The fee is around $25-30.

Once you are officially in Cape Verde sources say that you need a passport passport photo proof of hotel accommodation and vaild amount of cash in bank they don't mention the amount needed in order to get pass sercutiy.
This isn't correct. You obviously don't need a passport photo to enter Cape Verde. You need a passport, a return ticket, a confirmed reservation and you should be prepared to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to sustain yourself during your stay. If you're here for a week, then you should have €1.000 in available funds (minus what you've already pre-paid for). There is no need to have large sums of cash on you - just show a credit card. It s assumed that anyone coming from America or Europe already has sufficient funds (otherwise they would not be there).

Then sources claim in order to obtain a resident you have to have passport photo passport accommodations and proof of a registered business, property or a job based in Cape Verde as well as pay fees to get residents. They don't mention fee amounts.
This is not even close to the list of documents that are needed to apply for a residency visa. The visa application fee is only €45-50.

I want to be property but can't found good information on that. The information I get is mostly European renting airbnbs to tourist. I don't want to be just a tourist.
You can buy property with only a passport and your NIF (fiscal identity number which is free and takes 5 minutes to obtain).

Opening a business same problem little to no information.
You can open a small business with only $6. You only need your passport and your NIF.

So jobs is the only option.
Totally incorrect. If you want to seek a job, you will need to speak Portuguese or Kriolu. Or you need to find a tourism job with one of the hotels or restaurants in Sal or Boavista. However, tourism fell 95% due to the pandemic. So there are no jobs in the tourist islands. So starting a small business is the best option.

Some sources claim that Santiago may have some work for English speakers.
Whoever said that doesn't know what they're talking about. There are no jobs for English speakers in Praia except if you are a professional and you find work with the US Embassy, the UN or the EU etc. The UN and EU tend to prefer French speakers.

Some sources claim the Sao Vincent and Brava may have some work for the the maritime. They however don't list any companies.
There are a few maritime jobs on every island since it's the biggest economic sector nationally, BUT you cannot get any of them unless you speak Portuguese fluently.

I hope this helps. My feeling is that you may not be well positioned to move to Cape Verde at this time because you are thinking of jobs but you will not easily find a job here since you cannot speak the official language, and the tourism sector is not going to be productive until 2022. You really need to consider a small business but this will require €5.000-10.000 of capital. Do you have this much to invest?

Best regards,

Angelo

Yeah business is fine I guess? I don't see a whole a lot of good small business ideas in the country outside bars, farming nightclubs and strip clubs ( if it's legal over there). If tourist is down because of Covid entertainment like bars isn't gonna be a good investment right away. Farming seem to be ok but I read about plenty of famines and hurricanes that of destroyed crops. Also what is the exchange rate from USD to Escudo? Like what can 100 usd get me in Escudo? And, where is the cheapest place to buy land for your best knowledge? How much USD you will need for at least a month?

Hi Chauncey,

I have tried to answer your questions.

Yeah business is fine I guess?
Business is fine, provded you invest in the right opportunities! Covid did not stop all economic activity.

I don't see a whole a lot of good small business ideas in the country outside bars, farming nightclubs and strip clubs ( if it's legal over there).
How could you see anything in the country if you have never been here, you have no reliable sources of info, and you have not studied the economy or analyzed the business environment? How could you conclude anything at all? You need to be GUIDED. Don't just jump to conclusions!

I read about plenty of famines and hurricanes that of destroyed crops.
What??? Utter nonsense. There was once a famine in the 1940s which was more than 70 years ago. Hurricanes do not pass through Cape Verde...ever. Where are you reading this?

...what is the exchange rate from USD to Escudo? Like what can 100 usd get me in Escudo?
The exchange rate with the US Dollar varies everyday. Use Google or any currency exchange app. The Escudo is TIED to the Euro at 110 escudos per 1 Euro. That is why, in Cape Verde, we quote prices in EURO, not in dollars. If you need to convert, use one of the sites as I mentioned.

And, where is the cheapest place to buy land for your best knowledge?
For what purpose...construction, agriculture? Is it an investment in land or is for implementing a project which requires land? Land will obviously be very expensive in the cities, but cheaper in the rural areas, and cheapest in uninhabited locations. Private land will be more expensive than public land. It will also depend on which island you will buy such land. So this question has no simple answer because there is no context to your question.

Furthermore, you would not buy land here as a pure investment. You would nnever be able to resell it after unless it is in the cities or islands where construction projects are plentiful and land is in high demand (which means the price will be sky high). In addition, if you are investing in a project which requires land, you would never buy such land here. Instead you would seek a multi-year concession from the local government. You would lease the land, not buy it.

How much USD you will need for at least a month?
Not sure what this question even means. Are you asking about the cost of living in CV for a month? Again, it depends on which island and where within the island you locate. You want to live among the professionals in the most exclusive suburbs, or among the minimum wage workers in a poorer neighborhood? People can live here on €200/month ut it will be a very frugal and rough lifestyle. If you want to live a reasonable quality of life, you would need at least €500 per month. If you want to live like the professionals, you should count of spending about €800-1.000 per month.

Chauncey, I am not sure where you are going with these questions. The questions themselves don't seem to be focused. What specifically are you looking to accomplish? Start a local business and live off the earnings? Then you will need to have money to invest! And you will need o be guided to the best business opportunities. Yet, you have not stated how much you have available to invest. So it is hard to help you.

Regards,

Angelo

Chauncey712 wrote:

Yeah business is fine I guess? I don't see a whole a lot of good small business ideas in the country outside bars, farming nightclubs and strip clubs ( if it's legal over there). If tourist is down because of Covid entertainment like bars isn't gonna be a good investment right away. Farming seem to be ok but I read about plenty of famines and hurricanes that of destroyed crops. Also what is the exchange rate from USD to Escudo? Like what can 100 usd get me in Escudo? And, where is the cheapest place to buy land for your best knowledge? How much USD you will need for at least a month?

hi there I'm Palestinian Jordanian  atheist and I born In Iraq .looking for volunteering work in cooking job positions in Cape Verde I'm family cooker I'm  traveller and  I went  to Syria Lebanon Jordan saudi Arabia Qatar Indonesia India Cyprus Turkey Egypt Morocco and I lived  in Australia for 7 years.I started cooking since 22 years ago so I'm professional Arabic and middle eastern cooking food soups and falafel and rise etc. if anyone European or UK or USA people seniors need cooking person drop message but must provide me free accommodation single room in house and free meals food. I have Jordanian passport so I can enter CV without Visa. currently I'm in Egypt . I learned cooking from my parents. I cook very delicious and clean food. so who is interested please let me know regards.😁👍

hi there I'm Palestinian Jordanian  atheist and I born In Iraq .looking for volunteering work in cooking job positions in Cape Verde I'm family cooker I'm  traveller and  I went  to Syria Lebanon Jordan saudi Arabia Qatar Indonesia India Cyprus Turkey Egypt Morocco and I lived  in Australia for 7 years.I started cooking since 22 years ago so I'm professional Arabic and middle eastern cooking food soups and falafel and rise etc. if anyone European or UK or USA people seniors need cooking person drop message but must provide me free accommodation single room in house and free meals food. I have Jordanian passport so I can enter CV without Visa. currently I'm in Egypt . I learned cooking from my parents. I cook very delicious and clean food. so who is interested please let me know regards.😁👍

Hi Alami,

You have great credentials as a chef. You may be able to get a job in Cape Verde under the conditions you require. There are a couple of adaptations that may be necessary for you to make:

First, Arabian/Middle Eastern cuisine is not known among the local Capeverdean population and they are not known to be explorers of the culinary palete. So you may want to see if there are any foreign investors who wish to launch a new restaurant with this theme. Such a venture could potentially be quite successful in the capital, Praia, or in Sal (but there are zero tourists there right now). The reason it works in these two places is that there are hundreds if not thousands of people (tourists, expats and locals) who enjoy culinary variety and actively seek it out.

Second is your motivations. Are you just looking for a short-term stint? Or, would you consider starting such a restaurant yourself? You could start on a very small basis in a small location and expand later. You could even offer shisha to make the offering more compelling. You could startup with less than $15,000 if you had such savings. Starting a business would provide you with the basis for a long-term residency visa. However, it is not necessary if you would only be here for a short term.

One challenge will be the ingredients for the meals. Middle Eastern spices may not be readily available here.

Language is another challenge. Since you have been to so many locations and countries, i assume you may be able to speak Spanish or French. These are spoken more frequently than English, although with tourists in Sal, English is most widely spoken.

Finally, how long are you planning to stay in CV and can you cook Mexican and/or Greek cuisine? I know of an investor who wishes to start a differentiated restaurant in the capital within the next few months. Besides room and board, what are your salary requirements. If you are here for the short term, you could train one of the local chefs.

Please respond in a private message and I will provide you with my contact details.

Regards,

Angelo

alamialami77 wrote:

hi there I'm Palestinian Jordanian  atheist and I born In Iraq .looking for volunteering work in cooking job positions in Cape Verde I'm family cooker I'm  traveller and  I went  to Syria Lebanon Jordan saudi Arabia Qatar Indonesia India Cyprus Turkey Egypt Morocco and I lived  in Australia for 7 years.I started cooking since 22 years ago so I'm professional Arabic and middle eastern cooking food soups and falafel and rise etc. if anyone European or UK or USA people seniors need cooking person drop message but must provide me free accommodation single room in house and free meals food. I have Jordanian passport so I can enter CV without Visa. currently I'm in Egypt . I learned cooking from my parents. I cook very delicious and clean food. so who is interested please let me know regards.😁👍

Hi!
My name is Lisa and I am British born and bred.  Subsequently I lived in South Africa for 20 years and now I have been living in Italy for the past 18 years.  I consider myself a bit of a global citizen.  Changing countries/cultures gives me a great satisfaction, not to mention great life experiences. Now I would like to move again and considering my best experiences were in Africa, I would like to go to Cape Verde and work with children teaching English. 

My qualifications and experience are in the Marketing, Sales and Advertising sectors.  The highest level achieved in the business world was :  Board of Director McCann Erickson South Africa. After transferring to Italy I ‘went it alone’ and began a small teaching business, teaching English to Italians.  I'm by nature systematic and precise, which makes me very organised.  I thrive on challenges and approach tasks with as much creativity and innovation as possible.  I have always been a trouble shooter, meaning if there is a problem or a challenge I have the drive and determination to find the way forward. I am a person who is open to all, tries all and who is experienced in life.  I have learnt so much about local cultures that I have become multi-cultured myself. I face challenges and work hard to find the best way doable to push  through  and get results.

I have been teaching English to Italians privately for the last 17 years and  I am therefore fairly fluent in Italian.  I teach according to the Cambridge Curriculum at all levels from children’s basic English learning up to CAE/IELTS.  My strengths lie in teaching upper intermediate writing skills as well as the full grammar range.  My younger students range from 5 year olds to high school students and adults from multiple work sectors.

I've probably written too much but I want to literally advertise my skills on this forum to see if there are any teaching opportunities in your country.

I'm happy to be part of this forum.

Hi Lisa,

You sure sound like an experienced globe trotter. I'm sure you would enjoy spending some time in Cape Verde. My most recent clients who have relocated to CV are from South Africa too. And so far they are loving it.

You would certainly be able to teach English to children of all ages in one of the private schools. However, you would not make enough money to live on because the pay is extremely low. ou could possibly teach in the public schools where the pay is livable (teacher's wages start at €600 per month). However, you would need to be licensed by the Ministry of Education which also means that you must be 100% fluent in Portuguese, the official language of the country. In addition, you will be assigned to a school which may not be on the island or community of your preference.

Many expats bring up this idea of teaching English in Cape Verde. It's a non-starter. For someone with your type of experience, you'd be 1000 times better off just starting a business here. There are many opportunities in the private sector for experienced, innovative thinkers, provided you have an entrepreneurial spirit and you have a little cash to finance the startup.

If you decide to come to CV, please do connect with me in advance.

Best of luck!

Angelo

lisajones999 wrote:

Hi!
My name is Lisa and I am British born and bred.  Subsequently I lived in South Africa for 20 years and now I have been living in Italy for the past 18 years.  I consider myself a bit of a global citizen.  Changing countries/cultures gives me a great satisfaction, not to mention great life experiences. Now I would like to move again and considering my best experiences were in Africa, I would like to go to Cape Verde and work with children teaching English. 

My qualifications and experience are in the Marketing, Sales and Advertising sectors.  The highest level achieved in the business world was :  Board of Director McCann Erickson South Africa. After transferring to Italy I ‘went it alone’ and began a small teaching business, teaching English to Italians.  I'm by nature systematic and precise, which makes me very organised.  I thrive on challenges and approach tasks with as much creativity and innovation as possible.  I have always been a trouble shooter, meaning if there is a problem or a challenge I have the drive and determination to find the way forward. I am a person who is open to all, tries all and who is experienced in life.  I have learnt so much about local cultures that I have become multi-cultured myself. I face challenges and work hard to find the best way doable to push  through  and get results.

I have been teaching English to Italians privately for the last 17 years and  I am therefore fairly fluent in Italian.  I teach according to the Cambridge Curriculum at all levels from children’s basic English learning up to CAE/IELTS.  My strengths lie in teaching upper intermediate writing skills as well as the full grammar range.  My younger students range from 5 year olds to high school students and adults from multiple work sectors.

I've probably written too much but I want to literally advertise my skills on this forum to see if there are any teaching opportunities in your country.

I'm happy to be part of this forum.

My name is Fatoumatta, I am 19 years old ..I am adventurous and I speak English and French..my hobbies are learning languages and swimming.
I love to work with people, I am very hardworking. I have worked as a waitress and hostess for couple of years, I understand the ins and outs of an Industry including food handling techniques.
I can’t wait to come to Cape Verde. I am ready for new challenges,and is now seeing a suitable position with a reputable and exciting company..

Hi Fatoumatta,

Welcome to the forum! I love your attitude. You would likely adapt to Cape Verde quite rapidly with your attitude and outlook.

Unless you speak Portuguese fluently, it will be quite challenging to get a job with a reputable local company. Portuguese is the official language here. With English and French, your best option for getting a job is in the tourists islands of Sal and Boavista. Unfortunatey, there is little to no tourism at the moment, so there are no jobs in the tourism sector.

You should consider a move here for summer of 2022 into 2023 when it is likely that tourism would be back to prepandemic levels.

Regards,

Angelo

chamsfatoumatta wrote:

My name is Fatoumatta, I am 19 years old ..I am adventurous and I speak English and French..my hobbies are learning languages and swimming.
I love to work with people, I am very hardworking. I have worked as a waitress and hostess for couple of years, I understand the ins and outs of an Industry including food handling techniques.
I can’t wait to come to Cape Verde. I am ready for new challenges,and is now seeing a suitable position with a reputable and exciting company..

Thank you 😊..To learn Portuguese is not a problem as I said earlier learning languages is part of my hobbies and I am a fast learner too...Apart from the tourism side what other type of job would you recommend??

Hi Angelo

Thank you for your kind and informative response. 

When I first arrived in Italy I didn't speak one word....except ciao ;-)...but I learned through experience and time.  Does your government have any courses that I could attend to speed up the process?  How much time is given to an individual to learn Portuguese fluently?

I have to admit that the idea of setting up something myself does sound appealing as I am self employed here in Italy, even if it is a small business.

I was booked to spend some time in CV last year march but as you can imagine, COVID cancelled all my plans.  I am double vaccinated with pfizer, so I believe an actual visit would be necessary to get a feel for the lay of the land and having a contact such as yourself would be highly beneficial.

I will keep you informed of my plans if that is okay with you.

Lisa

Hi Fatoumatta,

OK. So, forgetting language completely, from a practical standpoint, Cape Verde is a MICRO country. It's one of the smallest in the world. Only half a million total population spread over 9 separate, inhabited islands. Half the population consists of children and youth who are not productive. So there aren't many jobs here to begin with. We produce almost nothing here. Over 85% of what is consumed in the country is imported, There is little to no industry here to create jobs. Frankly, it is hard for me to understand where people get the idea that they should come to Cape Verde for jobs! Where did you get this notion??? I'm curious.

In the recent past, there were 5 times more tourists visiting Cape Verde annually than the entire working local population. Therefore, new jobs are all being created in the tourism sector on the tourist islands, serving tourists. Beyond tourism sector jobs (of which there are none at the moment because there are no tourists at the moment), the most lucrative way to generate an income in Cape Verde is to invest in your own business, and you should target mainly foreigners (those who are here in the country including tourists and expats, as well as those who have never been to Cape Verde...like via remote working in CV with your clients being in wealthier countries).

The country is not only tiny, it is extremely poor, so if you create a business that targets the local population, your business is not likely to be successful because the majority of the population has no spending power except for the basics. You would have to provide a product that is used by the majority of the local population. But those sectors are already saturated by competitors.

I hope I've made it clearer for you.

Regards,

Angelo

chamsfatoumatta wrote:

Thank you 😊..To learn Portuguese is not a problem as I said earlier learning languages is part of my hobbies and I am a fast learner too...Apart from the tourism side what other type of job would you recommend??

Hello and thank you for accepting me into the community. My name is Dayo, a retired Engineer/ Supply Chain Specialist from Nigeria.
I have been traveling the world and running marathons since my early retirement in 2017.

I am billed to participate in the Eco tour marathon in Boa Vista in December of 2021. My plan is to stay behind for a few weeks after the marathon to explore the Islands of Cape Verde and make some new friends.

I will also want to volunteer my time and make myself useful while earning some money for my upkeep. I hope members of this forum will be able to point me i. The right direction

Hi Dayo,

Welcome to the CV forum. Good luck at the marathon in Boavista.

If you plan to stay on, visiting the islands for a few weeks, it's best to treat it as a vacation and be a tourist.

There's no way to just "earn some money" while you travel around. It's a poor country, very small, there are no jobs, and the pay is low if you could even find something.

Not sure how you expected to earn this money. And if you don't speak Portuguese, how would you even expect to communicate?

Cheers,

Angelo

dayoakinbode wrote:

Hello and thank you for accepting me into the community. My name is Dayo, a retired Engineer/ Supply Chain Specialist from Nigeria.
I have been traveling the world and running marathons since my early retirement in 2017.

I am billed to participate in the Eco tour marathon in Boa Vista in December of 2021. My plan is to stay behind for a few weeks after the marathon to explore the Islands of Cape Verde and make some new friends.

I will also want to volunteer my time and make myself useful while earning some money for my upkeep. I hope members of this forum will be able to point me i. The right direction

Hi all,
I'm so happy to be here. My name is Edet,a Nigerian citizen based in Nigeria. I'm married with a 4year old son at the moment and my wife just finished her law degree here in Nigeria.
I currently work in the construction industry as a mechanical QAQC engineer in the ongoing OML13 project. I'm looking to relocating to CV with my family. I'm also planning on setting up a fashion business for my wife over there since she's good at it.
How well can this business thrive over there? Also,can I still be working on my current job while my family would be based in CV then come around during my time off? Are there good schools where I can enroll my son? What's the cost of renting a 2bedroom apartment? What's it like living in CV and what are the requirements of relocating?

Hi Edet,

You could not possibly be serious! You're and engineer and your wife is a lawyer...and you want to relocate to Cape Verde???

Cape Verde is a tiny, poor country. The unemployment rates are very high. The average salary is less than $200 a month. Only a privileged few can afford no buy "designer fashion". And the language spoken here is PORTUGUESE not English.

Have you done ANY research on Cape Verde? It would appear not. But you asked the questions and I've provided answers below:

How well can this business thrive over there? Not well at all. There is no market here for a "fashion" business. Most people buy used clothing. New clothing is purchased from the Chinese importers.

Also, can I still be working on my current job while my family would be based in CV then come around during my time off? Yes, you can come around anytime. However, your wife and son will have to apply for residency visas in order to be based in Cape Verde.

Are there good schools where I can enroll my son? If your son is fluent in Portuguese, there are a couple of good private schools where he can enroll. I mean literally a couple, as in two schools. There are no English-speaking schools here.

What's the cost of renting a 2bedroom apartment? It will cost about $300 per month for an unfurnished apartment, or $500 per month for a furnished apartment. These are the current rental rates in a decent neighborhood. If you want to pay lower rates, you can live in a poor neighborhood where the houses are unfinished on the outside. You'll pay around half those prices.

What's it like living in CV and what are the requirements of relocating? Write to me in private and I can direct you to a Cape Verde relocation eGuide which contains complete details about what it's like to live here and the requirements of relocating.

Cheers,

Angelo

edetekpenyong wrote:

Hi all,
I'm so happy to be here. My name is Edet,a Nigerian citizen based in Nigeria. I'm married with a 4year old son at the moment and my wife just finished her law degree here in Nigeria.
I currently work in the construction industry as a mechanical QAQC engineer in the ongoing OML13 project. I'm looking to relocating to CV with my family. I'm also planning on setting up a fashion business for my wife over there since she's good at it.
How well can this business thrive over there? Also,can I still be working on my current job while my family would be based in CV then come around during my time off? Are there good schools where I can enroll my son? What's the cost of renting a 2bedroom apartment? What's it like living in CV and what are the requirements of relocating?

Thank you so much sir for your prompt response. However, I apologize for my late reply. I was just looking for a country where I can start life afresh with my family. A country where corruption is minimal compared to Nigeria. I thought CV was a better option as cost of relocating would be minimal compared to Europe.

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=969267

Thanks!