A US-based Ghanaian, visiting the country for the popular “Detty December” celebrations, has raised serious concerns about the financial struggles faced by salaried Ghanaians.
In a passionate video shared on social media, she expressed her frustration over the low wages and the widespread use of U.S. dollars in the local economy.
“Ghanaians are literally the most overworked and underpaid in the whole world,” the woman said, visibly frustrated. She pointed out the long working hours—often exceeding eight hours a day—and the fact that many locals are paid monthly, a practice she found shocking. “It baffles me that locals who work for companies or have jobs are working long hours, sometimes over eight hours a day, and they get paid monthly. That’s crazy!” she exclaimed.
Highlighting the disparity between wages and the cost of living in Ghana, she revealed that most salaried workers earn between 600 to 1,500 Cedis a month, with higher wages considered a rarity. “How can anyone live on that? It’s unbelievable,” she said, questioning how Ghanaians manage to survive under such financial constraints.
The woman also criticized the widespread acceptance of U.S. dollars for transactions, a practice that she believes puts the local economy in a difficult position. “What blows my mind even more is that people take dollars in Ghana,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re literally basing the Ghana economy on U.S. dollars, which absolutely makes no sense because in the U.S., most people get paid weekly or biweekly. Very few people are paid monthly. So for you to be charging dollars in Ghana is absolutely absurd.”
Her video has sparked a wider conversation about the financial challenges faced by ordinary Ghanaians and the need for significant changes in the country’s salary structure and economic practices. The concerns she raised underscore the increasing gap between wages and the cost of living, as well as the complexities introduced by the reliance on foreign currency in everyday transactions.
Watch the video below:
A US based Ghanaian has expressed immense shock over her discovery of the monthly wages of most Ghanaian employees during her recent visit.
The extremely low wages coupled with high cost of living according to her makes Ghanaians some of the most underpaid yet overworked people… pic.twitter.com/8byrZAGvGc
— SIKAOFFICIAL🦍 (@SIKAOFFICIAL1) January 14, 2025