Accra

Home / Africa / West Africa / Ghana / Accra

Guide for dating in Accra helps you to meet the best girls. This dating guide gives you tips how to date Ghanaian women. You will learn rules where and how to flirt with local Ghanaian girls. We advise how to move from casual dating to the relationship and find the real love. We also tell the best dating sites in Accra. In this article below you will find more information where to meet and date girls in Accra, Ghana.

Hot girls of Accra at the Carbon club


Girls in Accra:

  • Looks of girls: 4 / 5
  • Attitude of girls: 4 / 5
  • Loyalty of girls: 4 / 5
  • Education level of girls: 4 / 5

Dating in Accra:

  • Chance of arranging dates: 3.5 / 5
  • Casual dating culture: 3.5 / 5
  • Online dating popularity: 3 / 5

Sex in Accra:

  • Women's sexual activity: 4 / 5
  • One-night stands: 4 / 5

More about Accra:

  • Nightlife in general: 4.5 / 5
  • Locals' English level: 4 / 5
  • Moving around the city: 3 / 5
  • Budget per day: US$15 - $500
  • Accommodation: US$10 - $300

Dating

The city of Accra is the administrative and commercial hub of Ghana. The city is located on the Gulf of Guinea on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. The girls of this city are beautiful and well built. The city is one of the most developed in Africa and many girls live in the city and its surrounding area. Ghana is home to many ethnic groups in addition to many foreign girls. The variety is large and you only need to choose a girl that you would like to pursue and learn more about her, including her culture and likes and you can enjoy your time with her.

As the capital center of Ghana, the city is a melting pot of different cultures and even nationalities. Some of the girls you will find here are from the village and some of them have been born and brought up in the city. The two extreme and everything in between will determine to a great extent, how the girl behaves, how ready she may be for a one-night stand or a relationship. This will help, in turn, help you to adapt to the situation and make the right decisions.

Dating Culture

The dating culture in Accra and the whole of Ghana is very liberal. While some girls may only be ready for long-term relationships, others will be ready for a casual fling. Those girls who have not stayed long in the city will be less inclined to get into a relationship with a stranger and will only do so if the relationship looks likely to last longer. On the other hand, those girls who have been exposed to life in the city or those girls in higher learning institutions and foreign girls may be more easily available for casual one-night stands.

Sugar Dating

Sugar dating is one of the best ways to find a date in 2023. Men who are willing to buy gifts for sugar babies, will get physical or emotional pleasure for a return. Take a look of the wide selection of girls from SecretBenefits.

Online Dating

Dating in Accra can be a bit tricky due to not knowing if you have a solid connection, so your best bet is to sign up for a dating site before you venture to the night club or bar, so you can meet a few locals ahead of time. AdultFriendFinder.com lets you meet local members in Accra and get to know them on a personal basis before you meet in person. Take advantage of site features like live chat and member to member webcams so you can begin flirting before arranging a face-to-face meeting.

Webcam Dating

Feeling lonely in Accra? Arrange a virtual date with your favorite webcam girl right now! We have thousands of hot girls online waiting for you. Visit DatingLocalGirlsLive.com!

Women

Following the traditions of the numerous ethnic groups and the imprint left behind by the colonialists, women in Ghana enjoy a more prestigious position in society as compared to many other African countries. In the dominant Akan tribe which forms 40% of the population, women traditionally inherited wealth and also engaged in income activities. This resulted in empowered women who moved their influence from just women’s affairs to controlling a relatively significant part of the economy. It is estimated that up to 66% of employable women are either employed or engaging in business.

There are a few categories of women that you will come across in Ghana. The first type is made up of professional women. These are women who have gone through the formal education system, got employed and now work in the corporate world. Some of these women have risen through the ranks to become top managers in big organizations while others have even started their own companies which have grown and now employ many people. These women are known by the way they carry themselves including their dressing, the cars they drive and even where they hang out. For those who are married, their children will be attending expensive schools in the city. Others get engrossed with their pursuit of career and end up not getting married but will have the occasional one-night stand just for pleasure.

Another type of woman in the city is the young university students. These are the most adventurous and outgoing lot. Accra is host to many universities and tertiary institutions that attract many young girls not only from all over the country but also from Ghana's less developed neighbors. Most of the universities and colleges have internal accommodation for its students while those who miss getting accommodation rent hostels near the universities. During the week, these girls will be rarely outside as they will be busy in class. Things change on Friday and Saturday evening when many of them step out of school and throng the many entertainment joints in the city.

We have the women who come to the city to have a good time. As mentioned, Ghana’s capital city is on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean with its beautiful beaches including the famous Tema Harbour, the largest man-made harbor in Africa. These women are found in the entertainment joints across the city and other attractions in the city. If you are a visitor looking for a good time in the city, this is the woman that you may want to look for.

Another type of woman in the city is the married housewife. While Ghana has one of the highest percentages of employed women, many women do not pursue their careers, instead opting to take care of their families. These women have working husbands who provide everything the family needs leaving the wife to stay at home to handle the domestic matters. Whereas the employed women are usually forced to employ house-helps to manage their homes, the housewives raise their children themselves and once the children grow older, they join small groups of women to occupy themselves. Some of the women falling in this category may be well-educated opting to drop their own ambitions for the sake of the family. Others, however, do not continue with their education after secondary schools.

Over the last three decades, Accra has seen an unprecedented surge in its population. Many people have left their rural homes and moved to the city with the hope of getting a source of livelihood. A large part of the women population of the city lives in the slums. The women who live here are employed in the city's large informal sector. These women sell foodstuffs and other items in the markets. The husbands to these women are also employed in the informal sector in jobs such as plumbing, masonry, carpentry and in the transport sector. Because of the lower-income gotten from such jobs, the women are also forced to work to supplement their husband's wages and provide for their families.

In addition to the professional women listed above, the city also has recent graduates starting off in their careers. These young girls may have finished their tertiary education in the city and opted to remain there or maybe coming from other parts of the city. To minimize the cost of life, these girls may opt to cohabit with their friends and split common expenses with their friends. The girls move out one by one as they get married or as they get better-paying jobs and can live by themselves.

Ghanaian Girls (age 18 - 29)

As is the case with any capital city around the world, Accra is viewed by the citizens of Ghana as the ultimate land of opportunity and attracts people from all over the country. Most girls finish their secondary education at the ages of 17-19 years. For those who passed enough, they proceed to university for further education and some go for vocational training in other tertiary institutions.

This is the first part of the Ghanaian girls found in this age group. At this age, the girls go through a lot of transformation and transition from elementary education to tertiary education and from childhood to adulthood. The latter change brings about a transformation of the body and mind. The girls' breasts grow from being small mounds on their chests to becoming soft round, succulent and attractive projections from the chest. The growth is also experienced in the buttocks which grow big and round. To accentuate the bulging body figures, the girls will start wearing tight trousers and short tight skirts that show their big bums. The tight blouses and tops will bring out their breasts. The girls are at a stage of self-discovery a will start applying makeup and using other affordable beauty products ending up looking attractive. These young girls in college are the most common entertainment joints especially over the weekends when they do not have class.

While the young girls in college and university are the easiest to hook up with, most of them are not looking for serious relationships. For them, every one-night stand that they have is an ace and something to be proud of. The same applies to go to clubs and even drug use. Since they are not yet financially independent, these university girls rely on their families for most upkeep and so their spending power is limited. Most of these girls live in college hostels paid for by their parents.

The second category of girls at this age are the ones who have completed their education and are joining employment. Unlike the younger girls in school who do not have a source of income, these girls are a bit more stable and can spend money on themselves and even their friends when they go out.

Those girls who are lucky to have family and relatives living in the city will put up with them before they can afford a place of their own. Others decide to cost-share by getting an apartment with friends and splitting rent and other common expenses.

As they grow older, the girls start looking for more stable relationships as this is the point where some of them get married or start a relationship that leads to marriage. This does not mean that all the girls here are only looking for stable relationships. Some are still having fun and can be good for a hookup.

Ghanaian Women (age 30 - 45)

At this age, most girls are now settled in their careers. The girls here are more financially independent and are now mature enough to make better decisions about life. For those who did not get married earlier in life, this is the time that most girls will get settled in marriage and start families.

By now, their bodies are fully developed and they have the right amount of flesh at the right places. The breasts are fully grown as they prepare to get children. Their behind is also firm. The girls here still dress liberally and are not afraid of flaunting their body figures. The skirts and dresses are slightly longer and the clothes only slightly looser to fit their professional lives. Since they are now making their own money, these women can afford a variety of good cosmetics and accessories which they apply making them look more beautiful.

Together with the spending on their bodies, these women can afford their residence though with immediate family living in the city are more likely to stay at home until they get married and move to their matrimonial homes. Others who are more resourced will acquire cheaper assets such as a car or even a plot of land.

These girls still go to clubs but are less outgoing and will be in the company of their friends anytime they go out. If you are looking for a longer relationship, these are the girls that you may want to approach as they are more mature and have been through enough in the dating scene and prefer a stable lifestyle.

Ghanaian Ladies (age 45+)

Most women of this age are married with children. For those in the professional world, they are now more stable and some have even risen through the ranks and occupy senior positions in their organizations. Those who opted to start their businesses have seen their businesses grow big and can employ other people to work for them.

The women in this age category have reached their maximum level of growth and as they grow older, their beauty will start to fade. However, they are financially stable enough to invest more in their looks by purchasing more expensive and better quality access and clothes. This will hold up to a certain point as soon age catches up with them.

The women age 45 years and above can own more significant assets whether they are married or not. For the married, most of their resources are held jointly with the husband while the singles own their houses, cars and other property. With age comes maturity and these women are more mature and will know what they want in a relationship. Most single women at this point are not keen on a long-lasting relationship but only want casual hookups. If you are looking for casual engagement with a lady and do not mind the waning body features then this is the place for you. The women here can pay for their own maintenance so you do not have to be concerned about not having enough money to take them out on a date as they may pay for you.

Foreign Girls (tourists, expats, students, etc.)

Ghana is considered to be one of the most peaceful countries in Africa its position neighboring less stable countries has seen many immigrants from West Africa get into the country every year. Every year, the country also receives at least 1 million tourists from the rest of the world, many of them women. Ghana also attracts many multinational corporations that set up shop in the country, bringing in expatriates to work with the locals. We also have international students from the neighboring countries who come to learn the many universities in the city. At one time or another in their stay in the country, these women will come to the capital city either to stay or just passing through the airport.

This means that at any one point in time, the streets of Accra teems with many beautiful foreign women. As a visitor, you have the choice of hooking up with these foreign women who are there for vacation, work or just passing through. Vacations have a way of loosening up most women however tight up they may be meaning that the fact that these women are here on vacation by itself works well in your favor. You will get to learn so much about different countries, their cultures and general way of life as you hook up and hang out with these foreign girls.

Sex

Despite its deep cultural affiliations and traditions, Ghanaian girls are quite liberal and getting to bed one of them is relatively easier than most African societies. As a tourist, many girls will be attracted to you as it is considered prestigious in some places to be dating a foreigner. Whether you are seeking something just for the holidays or a relationship that can lead to marriage. The girls here are easy and you only need to make the right approach as you look for sex. Even with this liberal worldview, you need to be discreet in your pursuit of sex as it is still not appropriate to be seen or heard seeking sex in public. You need to keep things normal until you are sure that the girl you have is open to your advances.

Sex Culture

Like most places, sex is not a matter that is always talked about in the open. It is considered taboo in some areas to talk about sex especially in public. This is, however, changing as it is becoming a widely spoken topic and many Ghanaians can boldly talk about it. While many people are now comfortable, there are still others who are less receptive to it and only speak about it in hushed tones.

A large contributor to the shift in matters of sex has been the proliferation of western culture both through the media and through real interactions with the foreigners. Western movies that have a more casual outlook towards sex are widely watched in the city. A result of this has been the corresponding growth of the local film industry, known locally as Ghallywood. The local films have largely tried to imitate what is shown in foreign movies including the depiction of sex. As more and more people can access information through cheaper internet on mobile phones and other devices, they get to see what is happening elsewhere in the world. This has had an impact on many aspects of Ghana's sexual life as seen in the rise in the number of users of online dating services in the country.

One-Night Stands

Once in a while, many people get the urge to engage in sex without any commitments. This is most common with travelers and workers who spend long periods separated from their families. In some places, the chances of getting a girl that you can spend quality time with no strings attached are slim due to cultural restrictions.

In Ghana, however, this is not the case as many young people are opening up to casual sex. While it may go against the teaching of many religions and cultures, one-night stands are beneficial in that one can satisfy their sexual urge and move on without having any feeling of remorse. In a one-night stand, both parties should be aware of the arrangement so that they do not have expectations of anything more. It is often distasteful when only one person knows that there is nothing more than a night of sex while the other person anticipates a long-lasting relationship.

More Accra girls are becoming aware of this arrangement and some are opening up to it. You only need to know who you are approaching and whether they are comfortable with it.

Best Places to Meet Single Girls

One of the major characteristics of any capital city is its tendency to attract people from all parts of a country. In many countries, the capital city is always taken to hold the biggest opportunities for anyone growing in their career, business or education. While this may bring along many challengers for planning and service delivery, they encourage innovation and give rise to many other channels for people to make a living. To meet the increased demand, many recreational spots also come up in the cities seeking to meet the demand for a distraction for the citizens who have been working hard to make a living.

Accra is no exception as the city has many places for you to visit to have a good time. These places are located both within the city limits and just outside the city and readily accessible to anyone. Such places attract many people including many single girls who come to spend their free time and also to mingle with other people with similar interests. Before you visit any place, you need to get enough information to prepare you in case you need to carry cash, other forms of cash or any other requirements.

Bars, Pubs and Nightclubs

Every evening, thousands of revelers pour into the numerous clubs in Accra to have a good time. Friday and Saturday are the most preferred days for the party-goers as many those working on weekdays do not have to worry about staying out late and waking up early the next day to go to work. While many clubs favor indigenous afro beats music, demand for international music has seen many clubs blending the two to satisfy all preferences.

  • Vienna City: This is one of the biggest entertainment spots in the city operating 11 am to 5 am throughout the week. It incorporates a club, restaurant and a casino. Vienna is located at Kwame Nkrumah Circle. The restaurant serves the best European, Asian and continental dishes. The club has a very strict dress code and you will need to check beforehand these requirements as many people are usually turned back at the door.
  • Hot Gossip Night Club: This club has won many awards over the years including being the best nightclub in Ghana in 2015 and the best nightclub in Accra in 2016 according to the Ghana Tourist Authority. The club has numerous bars and pool table to enjoy as you take a rest from the dance floor. The club is known for its best selection of music. It also serves shisha for those who enjoy it. One unique feature is that the joint doubles up as a strip club!
  • Plot 7: Regarded by many as the liveliest joint in town. Plot & is situated in Nyaniba Estate. The variety of DJs play a variety of music from pop, dance, house to afrobeat. The second edition of the prestigious Jack Daniel’s Nightlife Awards (JDNA) was launched on May 17, 2018 and the Night club took home the Night club of the year award and best event of the year award.
  • Club Onyx: This is one of the newest clubs on this list. This club is owned by a famous local DJ and in turn, it is popular with many local celebrities and DJs. Although it is quite small and can be crowded. It is also one of the most vibrant clubs in the city and it is located behind the police headquarters. Onyx opens from Thursday to Sunday, from 11 pm to 5 am.
  • Twist Night Club: This is the oldest night club in Ghana. With a perfect dance floor for those who want to dance all night and mini booths for a hideaway. There is something for everyone. It's easy to grab a drink and with top-notch ventilation.
  • Carbon Night Club: This joint is situated in a penthouse atop Icon House above a restaurant. The club has eye-catching décor that gives the place a surreal ambiance. Carbon has quality music that makes it one of the trendiest joints in the city.
  • AfterWerk: The club was until recently known as Rockstone’s Office. It is located in one of the plushest neighborhoods in the city in the Cantonments suburb. Just as its former name suggests, the club is popular with the corporate and professional types who head straight here from the office. If you are looking for professional networks, this is the place to be.
  • Republic Bar and Grill: This bar is known for its live music Wednesdays to the themed evenings. The club plays all types of music from highlife to hip-hop; Afropop to soul. Republic is situated in Osu along Asafoaste Tempong Street.
  • Afrikiko: This is a laidback outdoor complex of restaurants and dance floors. The club has Kizomba sessions every Wednesday. It also features a live band that plays the best old school music. It is located along Liberation Road opposite the French Embassy.
  • Labadi Beach: As the name suggests, this club overlooks Labadi Beach. The raucous club with an outdoor area serves the best food, beach fun and the occasional dance contests. The club is particularly popular on Thursday night for its local music selection. The club has one of the biggest sound systems in the city.
  • Duplex: This is an old-school nightclub that has a lot of bright décors and a laid back ambiance on the terrace. The popular spot also has themed nights throughout the week and if want a club where you get to shake a leg and dance, this is the place.

Other popular clubs in Accra include Sandbox Beach, Kona Café and Grill, Firefly Lounge Bar, Champs Sports Bar, Krazy Bar, The Castle Lounge and Shuga Nightclub. The publicity of the nightclubs and any special event is not very visible here. If you want to know what is happening at a night, following it on social media works much better.

Apart from Onyx, all the other clubs do not have a set entry fee. While Accra is generally safe, you must exercise personal responsibility for your safety. As a visitor, you should seek the view of your guide or reliable locals to identify the safe clubs. Just as you would do even in your own hometown, have a plan on how you will get home especially if you will be consuming alcohol as drunk driving is not only illegal and could land you into trouble but can cause accidents.

Shopping Malls

With its place as the administrative and commercial hub of Ghana Accra is home to many malls that caters to the large urban population in the city.

Some of the popular malls in Accra include:

  • Accra Mall
  • Marina Mall Accra
  • Junction Mall
  • Oxford Street Mall
  • West Hills Mall
  • Achimota Retail Centre
  • A&C Mall
Accra Mall

Outdoors

Accra is comparatively smaller than most cities of its stature. Part of this is because the city is located at the shores of the Atlantic Ocean meaning that there is limited room for expansion. The oceanfront also poses a challenge as at times the tides rise to higher than usual levels. This, however, does not mean that you can miss something to do while in the city as Accra has many activities and interesting places that attract many people:

The Artists Alliance Gallery showcases works of art by local upcoming artists. These works include paintings, drawings and sculptures. The gallery occupies three floors of a building and some of the works on display can be bought.

If you would like to see the best of Ghana’s history and culture, you need to visit the National Museum of Ghana. The museum displays artifacts like archaeological findings, textiles, musical instrument and regalia form not just Ghana but many other African countries.

Ghanaians are known for their bizarre funerals practices including some of the coffins in which they bury their dead. If you would like to see how and where it all starts you may want to visit the fantasy coffin workshop at Kane Kwei Carpentry.

The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is a memorial dedicated to the first prime minister and president and president of Ghana who led the country to its independence in 1957. He is credited for the progress that the country saw in many areas placing it among Africa’s leading economies. His remains were buried in an underground mausoleum which incorporates a museum with personal effects and works of the founding father.

Jamestown is a township on the oceanfront within Accra that has many colonial buildings. The township is famous for its lighthouse that offers a breathtaking view of the city.

A visit to Accra would be incomplete without a visit to Makola Market. The market has a wide range of goods ranging from food, textile, and souvenirs. Labadi Beach is the most common beach in Accra. The beach offers many activities such as swimming, beach volleyball and soccer and many beach bars.

Universities and Colleges

Ghana is one of the most developed countries in Africa. A large part of this is due to its political stability and the legacy left behind by the colonialists. A part of this development has seen Ghana enjoy of the best education systems in the continent. As the capital city, Accra hosts some of the best education institutions in the country.

Some of the universities and colleges found in the city include:

  • University of Ghana
  • Accra Technical University
  • Accra Institute of Technology
  • Ghana Institute of Management
  • Ghana Institute of Journalism
  • Mountcrest University College
  • Ghana School of Law
  • Korle-Bu Nurses Training College
  • Advanced Business College
  • Open University of West Africa

Relationship

In a normal encounter, the people of Ghana are known to be quite friendly and amiable. This friendly demeanor can only get better as you get into a relationship in Ghana. Ghana is one of the most progressive in Africa in terms of relationships and dating. Be it a short fling or a long-term relationship. Ghana is among the best places for you to get into a relationship. The girls in Ghana are known to be loyal and their families will welcome you well as soon as it is official that you are dating their daughter. It won’t be long before you are being referred to as husband, such is the speed unto which you will be embraced by a Ghanaian’s family. Don’t be alarmed, there is no pressure to get married, it’s just an indication of the affection and steadiness of your relationship.

English is the official language of instruction in schools meaning that most people can speak and understand it easily though some speak pidgin which is an evolved form of English that has bits of the major local dialects.

Holiday Romance

Holidays are times when we want to get away from the vagaries of daily activities and go somewhere to relax and have some fun. The best way to have fun on your holiday is having someone to spend time with. As you visit Accra, you will find yourself surrounded by strangers. This can create a feeling of loneliness even as you walk about the crowded streets. It is therefore important that you get the right person to spend time with during the holidays. Regardless of whether you want a short fling that will only last as long as the holiday or something that will go on even after the holiday, you must get the right person. The right person will be one who will share your interests and be open to spending time with you as you visit the places named above.

Tips for Successful Relationship

A good relationship can be enjoyable and will see you have peace of body and mind. While every relationship is unique, there are a few common things that need to be put in place for your relationship to be healthy.

As we get comfortable in a relationship, we run the risk of getting complacent and stopping to try and please each other. It is important that as a couple, you seek to go back to the time of dating and remind each other of the things that you used to do. If you used to have movie nights or even went for outdoor activities, you should endeavor to continue with this. Many relationships and marriages break when one or both parties in the relationship lose interest and start getting bored.

Many relationships struggle because one partner assumes that the other knows what they want. While it is true that over time you get to learn more about each other and can make sense of what is not said, you need to express yourself to your partner so that any misunderstanding can be cleared. If you feel aggrieved by anything your partner has done to you, you need to raise it albeit in a civilized and polite way so that they can know what to do or not to do in the future.

As a couple, you must take a keen interest in each other's lives. The more time you spend with someone, the more you should be able to know how they react and express themselves. Relationships leading to marriage require a lot of observation as this will prepare you to handle any occurrences in your future lives. In taking interest in your partner's life, you need to be deliberate to know what they are up to. If either or both of you spend the day at work, you should be taking time to find out how each person's day has been. This way, you will be able to encourage, sympathize or even advise your partner.

Every relationship is unique, while the above apply to every relationship, you need to learn you partner will to understand anything that makes her happy and apply and desist from doing what makes her mad or sad.

Love

Accra is the biggest city in Ghana and one of the biggest in West Africa. The city is smaller than its African peers such as Lagos, Cape Town or Nairobi. This does not mean that Accra is limited in terms of opportunities for falling in love. In addition to the many Ghanaian women who live in the city, more women come in as tourists every year albeit for a short time. Both the local girls and the foreigners provide an easy opportunity to fall in love in Accra. Ghanaian girls are more friendly and sociable as compared to most African girls. As a foreigner, you just need to learn the local dating culture and the dos and don'ts of dating in the city and everything else will be okay.

How to Make Sure She Is the One

There is never that one person for you. This is because each person has a set of characteristics that make them unique from any other person. As we may never get all the traits we want in one person, we end up with the one who has most of our desired characteristics or someone that we are comfortable to spend our lives with. Marriage is a lifelong commitment with the only acceptable exit being death. It is therefore important that the person you fall in love with is someone who you can stay with for the rest of your life.

In marriage, there will be many moments of laughter and many of pain and conflict. Through all this, you need to get someone with whom you will only grow stronger together as you move from one event to another.

Apart from a few cultures that allow relatives to get married to each other, any relationship leading to marriage brings together two people from very different backgrounds. These background differences could be social class, ethnicity, religion or even political orientation. It is therefore natural that at one point or another, there will emerge a disagreement, which when not handled correctly can give rise to more problems for the two of you. The woman for you will always be ready to accept if she is the one on the wrong and ready to forgive if she is the one who had been aggrieved.

The one for you will always be there to celebrate and cry with you in your triumphs and failures respectively. In your life outside the relationship, there will be times when things will go wrong. This could be at work, in business or even in school. In all this, you need someone who will give you her shoulder to cry on. She will encourage you to keep on fighting. On the other hand, she will celebrate any small achievement that you make and will always be your number one supporter.

Marriage

Like most countries, the minimum legal age for marriage in Ghana is 18 years. According to Ghana's constitution, marriage is a secular and monogamous and can only take place between two people of the opposite gender, meaning that same-sex marriage is illegal. The law recognizes three types of marriages; Customary, Muslim and Ordinance. Most marriages are a combination of the first type and either of the last two.

Once a couple agrees to get married, two processes are initiated simultaneously. The groom visits the bride's side to introduce himself. In the first visit, he is accompanied by two or three close relatives and friends. During this visit, the two parties agree on the date for the customary wedding. The customary wedding features the groom's family taking bride-price to the bride's family. The medium of bride-price varies from culture to culture, with some preferring livestock while others prefer cash. At this point, the bride is traditionally considered to be married. However, many families proceed to have an ordinance wedding in a church. Therefore, at the end of the traditional marriage ceremony, the couple agrees on the date for the church ceremony.

The Marriage Act states that “Those intending to get married are required to give notice to the marriage registrar in the district where the marriage is going to occur. The registrar would then publish a notice of marriage and then issue a certificate after 21 days if no objection is raised. The marriage certificate must then be presented to a licensed marriage officer, after which the couple must get married within three months or that certificate becomes null and void.” In the event of a church wedding, the marriage officer is a clergy licensed to conduct weddings. The certificate can also be signed and presented at the registrar's office if the couple does not wish to have a public religious ceremony. In all cases, you and your partner will be required to sign your marriage certificate, along with two witnesses and the officiating officer.

The notice to get married will be accompanied by a declaration that one is not married. If one has been married in the past, he will be required to provide a certificate of divorce to prove that the previous marriage is null or a death certificate if the former spouse is dead. For a foreigner, you will be required to produce a valid passport and proof of residency. The foreigner must have also been in the country for not less than 15 consecutive days.

Wedding

Once the legal requirements have been met and the couple has opted to do a religious wedding, they will agree on a venue as well as other logistics.

Weddings are one of the most important family gatherings and it is usually expected that all able members will attend as well as friends and other guests. On the wedding day, the groom and his best man who also acts as a witness will be the first to arrive in church after the guests have arrived and settled down. The bride will then walk in with her parents as her maid of honor and bridesmaids flank them. Most wedding services have written order that varies from one church to another. For the main churches, this order will have the exchange of vows, a bible reading and a sermon. At the end of the service, the couple together their witnesses and the officiating clergy sign the marriage certificate and proceed to the reception venue.

Ghanaian wedding receptions are intricate ceremonies that act as a symbol of the families’ social status. While the guests enjoy their meal, the couple proceeds for a photo-shoot so that they can have the memories of the day for future remembrance. Once the couple arrives, the real celebration takes place as the two are led to dance while accompanied by everyone else at the venue. After this session of celebration, speeches are given by the families as well as any other special category. The couple is then given their gifts before the cake is cut and shared. For those who can afford, the last part of the wedding is normally an after-party in a hotel or club. The newly-married couple then proceeds on honeymoon and come back as husband and wife.

Family Life

At the center of Ghanaian society is the institution of the family. Sustained through a series of kinship networks and marriages, the family is acknowledged as the bedrock of all social life. The family is not only the basis of Ghanaian social organizations, but is also the main source of social security in old age, both emotionally and financially, and the primary or sole caretaker for the young. The family is the basic unit of production and distribution and serves as the main agent for social control.

Although the family may be the cornerstone of Ghanaian social life, very little consensus exists on its boundaries. The traditional Ghanaian family is more than the nuclear unit. In everyday usage, the term family is used to refer to both the nuclear unit and the extended family. In Ghana, the latter is often based on kinship or lineage ties.

See Also