Many digital nomads neglect Africa on their travels, and this is definitely their loss. Africa has some incredible locations and some of of these rival anywhere on the planet in terms of suitability for remote work.
We have already explored Europe, South America and Asia in previous articles and also recommended colivings that you can find in each location, so welcome to Digital Nomad Hotspots in Africa.
Dwarfed by the imposing Table Mountain, Cape Town is a popular port destination in South Africa.
It has always been a popular port for ships that are traversing the globe as it offers a convenient place to dock at the tip of the African continent.
In this respect, it is often considered the last friendly stop before a long and inhospitable ocean journey.
In terms of digital nomads, it is easy to see why it attracts them in numbers.
Cape Town is a sun-drenched destination that offers a wide range of high-quality accommodations, including some excellent coliving options such as Cape Coliving, which has fast, reliable internet for remote workers.
Cape Town is a huge city that houses some 3.5 million inhabitants, so it isn’t somewhere to go if you want to escape city life.
If City life is your vibe, though, this will be ideal as it comes with all of the amenities of a modern 24-hour city, including shopping malls, supermarkets and an abundance of nightlife.
Although on paper Cape Town has a high crime rate, most of this is confined to the poorer township areas that tourists and digital nomads should be avoiding anyway, so it should be safe for most digital nomads.
Long considered the jewel in the crown of Morocco, Marrakesh is an ancient city with a densely packed walled medina that dates back to the Berber empire.
For those who are fans of history, this is one digital nomad hotspot that will be hard to beat or forget.
There are mosques, palaces, gardens and densely packed souks to explore and the vibrant colours all around will surely brighten even the most jaded soul.
There are coworking and coliving spaces such as L'Blassa in Marrakesh as well as more traditional options of apartments and hotels. The chance to stay in an authentic Moroccan Riad should not be missed.
A Riad is an ancient house built around a central courtyard. The courtyard is open to the sky. They are usually two to three stories tall, and the central area often has a pool or comfortable seating and a social area in which to relax.
Take the time to breathe in the culture and the atmosphere in this vibrant city of just under a million inhabitants.
Marrakesh is generally considered fairly safe for tourists, though the usual caveats apply about being aware of your surroundings. It is easy to be pickpocketed in some of the crowded souks and streets around the medina.
As well as being a vibrant and bustling capital city in its own right, Nairobi also has a national park within its boundaries that houses lions, giraffes and zebras.
There is also an elephant orphanage, and this is very well maintained by a reputable charity.
The image most people have of Kenya is the distinctively dressed Massai people in their red and black tunics, but there is so much more to the country and the city of Nairobi than this.
Like every modern city, there are premium shopping malls.
Fast internet access is standard in Nairobi and the climate is in the 20s for most of the year, which makes it extremely pleasant to spend time there.
In terms of accommodation, there is the usual mix of hotels and apartments.
There don’t seem to be any permanent coliving options at present, but there are pop-up colivings from time to time like coworking safari, and if you time your visit well, it is possible to catch one of these.
Egypt has always held a particular place in the hearts of many travellers, with images of the pyramids sparking the first impulse to travel somewhere exotic.
Whether inspired by movies like Indiana Jones, history documentaries about Tutankhamun, or the love story of Anthony and Cleopatra, this land of antiquity and enchantment has always fascinated many.
Being able to live and work in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt allows for travel to all of the main tourist places of interest as well as providing all of the amenities that a digital nomad or remote worker could need.
Cairo is the largest city in Africa, with over 21 million people.
This is definitely one for those who enjoy a bustling city environment rather than more quiet towns and villages.
The Nile River flows through Cairo and is perfect for a leisurely cruise if you need a few days away from work.
As you would expect with a modern and vibrant city, there is a wide array of accommodation options from hostels to hotels and coliving spaces like Shaha Gardens.
There are also a number of coworking places for those who feel most productive when they are in an office environment.
Morocco’s second entry on this list, and this time it is the surfer’s paradise of Taghazout, a sleepy village that has been adopted by digital nomads because of the lifestyle it offers.
In some respects this mirrors the journey that Bansko in Bulgaria has been on, a quiet village that became a hotspot largely by word of mouth.
As you would expect from a digital nomad hotspot, the internet is fast, and the climate is temperate all year round, with a comfortable 21C or 70F even in December.
In this respect, the climate is close to that of the Canary Islands, which isn’t all that surprising.
Despite being owned by Spain and, therefore, politically part of Europe, the Canaries are located off the coast of Morocco.
There are some excellent coliving and coworking options to choose from, whether in Taghazout itself or in one of the nearby towns, which are also seeing an increase in footfall because of its popularity.
Sundesk in Taghazout provides an excellent option for coliving and working and costs around £700 for a full month at their cheapest rate.
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