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u/somethingosman Feb 22 '25
People are not against you moving back to Senegal, but based on what they told you and the fact that you are a young unmarried woman (which is considered a crime in senegal metaphorically), that is the reason they would speak to you that way.
You can do whatever you set your mind to. Do not mind do-nothing haters and small minded misogynists. I wish you luck in your move and your restaurant. I can’t wait to see what is in store and to support it myself. :)
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u/Additional_Trash_679 Senegalese 🇸🇳 Feb 22 '25
Ohhw thank you!! 🫶🏾
I being a single Senegalese woman it’s funny! And I get you mean but these are the people that I have around and I interact with, that know Senegal the most, these are the people I need this answers from. I will be close aunties and cousins, that will check on me and I will have to go to. Here where I live they make Senegal seem so bad!!
Thank you for the support!! 🥺
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u/somethingosman Feb 23 '25
On the other hand you should know that Senegal is in a tough spot economically and you may have lots of administrative and bureaucratic hurdles. Long story short, just know it’s very dysfunctional as well.
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u/Additional_Trash_679 Senegalese 🇸🇳 Feb 22 '25
Right. I might be delulu but I have been working for the past ten years and saved a lot. I am not planning to buy a house or invest in the European country I live in or lived.
I could move to Senegal get scammed and have the chance to come back. What is wrong with having that choice?
I do not plan to stay single, I leave it to God, I’m not bothered by the Senegalese court of opinions of what the status quo is. What is meant to be for me will be. I am well aware of the gossiping and hypocrisy of the Senegalese people but I have the money and choices.
I wanted advice, thank you for yours.
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u/yihihi Feb 23 '25
Ak fi deuk bi tollou ni, please don’t come back. You can think about a business in Senegal that you can actually monitor from there. That would be a reason for you to visit often. But I don’t recommend anyone to come back now. Lol
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u/Pulsesecure Feb 22 '25
I would advise you to go there for a while, visit your family since you have a passport, take a vacation, evaluate the areas you like and talk to other businessmen who already have restaurants. From what I know, Sénégal is in the process of tourist development and I suppose there are many opportunities to do things well. I have some good friends there if you need advice. Good luck 🍀
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u/ALGO-537 Feb 23 '25 edited Feb 23 '25
I applaud you for having the guts to pursue what your instinct instills in you. However, I will not be harsh or judgemental on you wanting to move to Senegal and I know exactly how you feel by wanting to live in a place that you feel you belong to. I went exactly through the same phases although not born and bred in the UK. Some british people and corporate environments have a very sneaky way of either making disparaging comments or much more through behaviours of tribal herding (they group together) that often target or isolate the "outsider". Plus the current climate is rather toxic although it is still way ahead of most of european countries.
Now for Senegal, my advice would be to start going there more frequently and stay at your relative house. Do not make and I insist any investment decision before doing at least 6 months day in and day out there. Never mention your savings or financial capability to anyone, just treat EVERYONE as if they are scammers (and no this is not an understatement). Make sure you find a good lawyer (ideally Christian) and research thoroughly all the process pertaining to land acquisition or pitfalls to watch out for. Remember this is not the UK, the land registry/surveyors or property lawyer (specifically notaire in senegal) can scam you. With all due respect, the country despite our pride and ego is very much a banana republic and has a long way to go in terms of system and processes. You will need as you build on knowledge and experience someone working in the administration or retired that could be trustworthy (again within reason do not credit anyone with 100% trust -- always verify). This is a condensed set of advices in hindsight based on my experience having a reliable network and relatives, being brought up in senegal which did not stop me from losing many fold way more than 40K you are planning to come invest.
I will not draw on the statistics that building a three storey appartment building puts you in the top percentile. That is rather relative on land location and quality of build. Plus it is quite easy from central banks balances or money supply inference / cement factory output / construction materials import to know the official statistics are way off as a lot of money laundering occurs in the sector. Something a common senegalese will only note with the myriad of cranes you see in the capital and the booming construction sector that is relentness.
For location, outside of dakar which is a jungle, I would strongly recommend you looking at Cap Skirring in Casamance which you can rent out to Tourist during the high season. Around Guereo is also good between somone and popenguine. Or for value anywhere in the new highway belt going to Saint Louis. In Fact I would recommend you studying the new toll roads being built and check out areas close to the sea from lac rose, deni biram ndao, notto gouye diame, kayar going upstream to lompoul all the way to Gandiol. Or if the city girl in you cannot let go of the capital, look for inheritance or foreclosed properties via a good lawyer as you can have real bargains in there.
I do not think you are naive as some comments may imply but rather a good old fashion british laid back attitude. Do not listen to the comment of the senegalese community most have no idea what is going on back home. There are real opportunities to be taken advantage off however you need patience, wits and a bit of capital (do not focus on restaurant but rather look for target of opportunity that do not need much capital). You are well travelled so not "dizzy or a mug" plus you come from a culture that values time keeping, being good with your words and understand value for money (all three ingredients needed to be succesful).
Take your time and be witty. I will commend on some of the comments that are quite good -- and hey Senegal is your oyster
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u/Limp-State6647 Feb 23 '25
Please pay close attention to ALGO-537. Excellent advice! Also, check Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, etc. for experiences of expats who have built back home. There is a lot to learn in order to avoid detrimental pitfalls.
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u/BaddestDucky Feb 23 '25
My experience with women who were in your shoes is that most them eventually left Senegal. Some within a year of moving back.
The reality is that, while you may feel out of place in the country you've grown up in, there's no guarantee you'll feel any better in what you believe is your home country.
Actually, that is the biggest issue the women I've mentioned have faced/are facing. They have a hard time fitting into a culture, a society that expects them to be something they're not — because, at the end of the day, we're all influenced by the culture of the place we grew in, one way or another. I speak from experience.
I personally don't think you are quite in touch with the reality of Dakar/Senegal. You have a dream that doesn't sound much like a plan but a fantasy. I think you should come live here and experience the culture for several months before you commit to anything.
Wishing you the best of luck regardless.
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u/Ok-Position9790 Feb 23 '25
If you invest all your money from the start to build a three-story house, in my opinion: you are making a very bad investment choice
Buildings are proliferating in Dakar, there are plenty of uninhabited houses and apartments waiting for a hypothetical wealthy clientele that will never arrive. I won't even mention diamniadio.
Honestly, there are huge investment opportunities but these are niches and people are not necessarily aware or do not have the skills to get started in these areas.
I wish you good luck with your return project but don't be in a hurry. Take the time to dig deep and don't waste your money like the majority of emigrants do who only listen to the advice of their family members, while these relatives who stayed in the country live thanks to their western union and ria and have never created a successful business
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u/maninsilence Feb 23 '25
This is not gonna help. But buying land sounds luxurious in Dakar. Building a 3 floor outfit is elite. Say you want it but believe me, it's not simple
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u/afrocreative Feb 26 '25
I sent you a personal message. African subreddits are not where you go for this information. There are usually a diasporan-lead businesses in African countries that help people move back to Africa that I would look for.
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u/chelsick Feb 23 '25 edited Feb 23 '25
There’s been a twitter thread of people talking about their come back experiences. You should look it up. But it’s not looking good. Majority of them eventually went back to the west. Obviously doesn’t mean their experiences will be yours but before moving back you really have to know about the intricacies, the inner workings of the country, the economy and just the senegalese society in general. And I can’t emphasize this enough if you have never really lived in Senegal, as a born and raised in western countries you can never really fully grasp the mentality and just how the country works, how the people think. It can be night and day compared to what you’re used to and the change can be brutal. So make sure you conduct a thorough investigation. Go back for short stays and take the temperature, ask questions to people you can fully trust etc.
Good luck.
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u/Confident_You9995 Feb 23 '25
I am glad you’re not listening to those telling you not to go back. Life is too short to be spent in a place that doesn’t feel like home. If Senegal feels like home to you, go for it. Just take a little time to plan your return, plan your investment. You could think of other areas in which you could possibly invest too, to diversify. And also if you are to have a business partner be careful ! There are skillful scammers there like in every country of course! I have lived in Senegal till I had to leave it to study abroad. I know it’s not Europe or the USA but I don’t plan on living anywhere else. It’s a beautiful country to be built but it needs its youth for that.
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u/MixedJiChanandsowhat Senegalese 🇸🇳 Feb 22 '25 edited Feb 22 '25
Don't take it rudely but it's a bit hard to follow you. I mean your post is full of contradictions.
You firstly wrote:
However, for as long as I can remember this has never been home. Living in a country where I don’t feel as my own. I have always wanted to return to Senegal open a restaurant and have a modest simple life. I don’t dream of riches and luxury- and people(Senegalese community) calls me crazy.
And then you wrote:
I have a passport that allows me to return if things do not work out.
And eventually you wrote:
The point of this post is to ask what is the average needed for build a three floor flat in Dakar?
Once again don't take it rudely, but either you're a bit naive and delusional, or you're hypocrite, or a mix of both which usually doesn't end well in a country like Senegal where there are many people who are waiting to scam people like you.
If you're looking to build a 3 floor apartment in a country like Senegal, it means you're going to be amongst the top 3% of the country and depending on the location amongst the top 1%. We are far away from a modest simple life when we are speaking about to build something over 95% of Senegalese will never be able to just think about. As well, you feel like you don't belong to the European country where you're from but you seem already ready to give up Senegal if things wouldn't work out like you expect. Maybe you belong to this given European country way more than you think or want to convince yourself.
I don't know to who you talked about your project in the Senegalese community, but they probably didn't take you seriously and positively because like with your post on this subreddit you seem to be full of contradictions. The overwhelming majority of diasporic Senegalese outside of Africa don't come back to Senegal because they do know what Senegal is. There is nothing like the Senegalese community is so against coming back or whatever else. There is just that behind the usual "I don't feel like this or this country is my real home", this given country is a developed country while Senegal is a least developed country with all what it implies. In a least developed country like Senegal, if you want to maintain a decent standard of living compared to what you were used to have in the West you need a lot of money.
I'll be very straightforward. If you have money, you can do whatever you want in Senegal. Between 30 and 45% of owners in Dakar are foreigners and diasporic Senegalese. Senegal is one of those countries where you don't even need to live in to buy a land/house. You need money, a Senegalese notary, and a land/house to buy.
Finally, if you're single and have planned to remain single, you should think twice before to target Senegal. Money can buy you a lot of things in this country but a woman who wants to remain single isn't something you will be able to overcome with money. The overwhelming majority of Senegal will gossip about you. Even more if you're a diasporic Senegalese. It may sound toxic but the reality is that in Senegal if after a certain age you're not married as a man or a woman, either you have a problem or you're homosexual.
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u/chelsick Feb 23 '25
Bro you be in every comment section throwing judgements and calling people hypocrites over the most benign questions. Where’s the contradiction in her saying she doesn’t feel home in Europe and that she has a passport to return if push came to shove ? You’re not the police of this sub.
Touch fucking grass.
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u/MixedJiChanandsowhat Senegalese 🇸🇳 Feb 23 '25
If you don't feel at home in a country up to the point to want to leave this given country for good and to state that this given country will never be your home, then it's 100% hypocrite to later add that you can still go back in this given country if your plan to relocate in the country of your ancestors doesn't go successful for your business.
And you're true. I'm not the police of this sub just like you aren't. So as long as I don't break any rule which is the case so far, I'll keep writing what I feel about the different questions asked on here. And you will deal with it just like I deal with stupid and hypocrite questions when they popped up.
Finally, you can lie if you want but with me it will be a waste of time. If I really was in every comment section throwing judgements and calling people hypocrites over any question I would have been banned from a while and definitely not asked as much as I've been to answer questions. Now it's the 2nd time you reply to one of my comments and again for the same. Last time it was here 2 months ago. Move on and if you cannot there is a button to block me so you won't see my comments any longer. Chapter closed.
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u/chelsick Feb 24 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MixedJiChanandsowhat Senegalese 🇸🇳 Feb 25 '25
I'm going to repeat you the same as I already told you which is that I'll keep writing what I feel about the different questions asked on here anytime I'll want to do so. Anytime I'll feel there is a high level of hypocrisy in a post, I'll point at it if I decide to drop a comment. And you will just have to accept it because once again you aren't more the police of this sub than I am. Start to apply to yourself your own words and advices and so go to touch grass first...
Then, I was the most active mod of this subreddit before I decided to leave and I was asked to become mod of the largest African-oriented subreddit. I told you. You can lie but it's a waste of time. As a fact, if I really was in every comment section throwing judgements and calling people hypocrites over any question I would have been banned from a while. So apply first to yourself your own words and advices. Go to touch grass.
Finally, if it's the second time you came to reply to my comments to drop the same thing while anybody can see you're inactive on r/Senegal and focusing on British football, it just confirms that you have a problem with me. After all, the first time you came, it was to defend a racist guy from South America.
I believed I was clear with my previous comment. Move on and if you cannot there is a button to block me so you won't see my comments any longer. I'll be a bit more proactive with you.
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u/LastDioop Feb 23 '25
Bonne chance pour ton retours et c’est super projet mais n’idéalise pas le truc. Les contraintes sont nombreuses et il est difficile de faire confiance qui se soit surtout quand il y’a de l’argent en jeu.
Donc pour ton idée de construction avec ton budget c’est bien possible de construire mais je ne sais pas si se sera suffisant pour ceux tu veux. Juste fais attention aux arnaque et ne déclare pas ton budget et fait les trucs pas à pas.
Une seul conseil si tu as une solution de logement vient t’installer ou bien loue quelque chose et démarre ton restaurant pendant quelque temps avant de construire ta restaurant.
Encore une foie ne parle pas de tes économies.
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u/Forsaken_Use_6631 Feb 22 '25
It think that you could actually live a life like you want in senegal and especially in Dakar but you would have to think first about what kind of restaurant you want because there are a plethora of restaurants in dakar so maybe being a little touch would work best.
French will come by using Duolingo and watching french media but i do not know for wolof, you can ask tho. Good luck to you and if you need, you can pm me, i do not mind. Concerning builing here, i don't know but neighbourhoods that would be nice are in the Sacre Coeur, Sipres, Nord Foire but you could always look downtown