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Ghana to Launch E-Visa System in May Ahead of Visa-Free Travel for Africans

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Accra, Ghana – April 18, 2026 – Ghana will introduce a fully electronic visa (e-Visa) system in May 2026, the government has announced, marking a major step toward modernising its immigration processes and enhancing border management.

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said the new digital platform will enable travellers to apply for visas online from anywhere in the world, significantly reducing processing times and improving the efficiency of consular services.

Visa-Free Era for Africans

The e-Visa rollout coincides with a bold policy shift announced by President John Dramani Mahama. Starting on Africa Day, May 25, 2026, citizens from across the African continent will enjoy visa-free access to Ghana and will not be required to pay visa application fees.

“This initiative forms part of Ghana’s wider strategy to promote intra-African mobility, boost tourism, and position the country as a key gateway for travel and investment in West Africa,” Minister Ablakwa stated.

Enhanced Security Features

Beyond convenience, the e-Visa system is designed to strengthen national security. The platform will be fully integrated with Ghana’s Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record (API-PNR) systems, as well as international security databases.

“The new e-visa system will allow our officers to verify applicant information and ensure appropriate vetting without compromising national security,” Ablakwa explained.

This data integration is expected to enable more robust background checks while facilitating smoother travel for legitimate visitors.

Continental Alignment

The move aligns with broader efforts under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework to ease visa restrictions, facilitate trade, and promote freer movement of people across the continent. Ghana aims to lead by example in removing barriers to intra-African travel and economic cooperation.

Officials believe the combination of the e-Visa platform and the upcoming visa-free regime for Africans will significantly boost tourism arrivals, attract more investors, and reinforce Ghana’s reputation as one of West Africa’s most progressive and welcoming nations.

The e-Visa platform is scheduled to go live in May 2026, just weeks before the historic visa-free policy takes effect.

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Taste GH

Zomkom: Ghana’s Tangy Traditional Drink With a Fiery Kick

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Under the fierce afternoon sun in northern Ghana, few things satisfy quite like a chilled cup of Zomkom.

Sold at roadside stalls, market corners, and school canteens, the beloved millet drink has long been part of daily life across the region, offering refreshment with a fiery twist.

At first sip, Zomkom surprises many first-time drinkers. The flavour moves quickly between tangy, spicy, earthy, and slightly sweet.

Ginger arrives first with warmth, followed by the sharp bite of pepper and the lingering perfume of cloves.

Served cold, the drink cools the body while its spices gently heat the throat, creating a balance that feels uniquely suited to the northern climate.

Made by cooking millet flour with water before cooling and seasoning it with spices, Zomkom reflects the resourcefulness and culinary traditions of northern Ghanaian communities.

Some versions are lightly fermented, giving the drink an extra depth and faint sourness that regular drinkers often love.

Its popularity also lies in its simplicity. Millet, one of Africa’s oldest grains, is rich in nutrients and valued for its ability to provide steady energy.

For students rushing between classes or traders spending long hours in crowded markets, Zomkom offers both hydration and sustenance without feeling heavy.

But beyond nutrition, the drink carries cultural familiarity. The sight of large containers packed with ice and filled with homemade Zomkom is woven into everyday northern life.

It is the kind of drink tied to memory — childhood afternoons, busy lorry stations, family gatherings, and long walks home in the heat.

For visitors exploring Ghanaian cuisine, Zomkom offers something increasingly rare in modern food culture: a drink deeply connected to place, climate, and community.

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Sights and Sounds

Dust Trails and Wild Horizons: Quad Biking Through Ghana’s Shai Hills

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The first thing you notice at Shai Hills Resource Reserve is the silence — not the empty kind, but the living hush of open savannah broken by rustling grass, bird calls, and the distant rumble of quad bike engines climbing rocky terrain. Then the dust rises.

A rider speeds across a winding trail, weaving between ancient boulders and acacia trees as the late morning sun casts gold across the plains.

Less than two hours from Accra, Shai Hills offers one of Ghana’s most thrilling outdoor experiences, where wildlife, history, and adrenaline collide.

Quad biking has quickly become one of the reserve’s biggest attractions, drawing everyone from weekend adventurers and couples to international travelers searching for something beyond the beach resorts and city nightlife.

Riding Through History and Wilderness

The landscape feels cinematic. Wide grasslands stretch toward rugged hills dotted with caves once inhabited by the Shai people before colonial-era displacement in the late nineteenth century.

Along the trails, riders pass towering rock formations, grazing antelope, and the occasional troop of baboons perched watchfully along the roadside.

Quad biking here is not simply about speed. It is about immersion. The bikes carry visitors through dusty tracks scented with dry earth and wild shrubs while warm wind rushes against the skin.

Some trails snake through flatter terrain suited for beginners, while steeper rocky paths offer experienced riders a more demanding ride.

Guides often pause at scenic viewpoints overlooking the reserve, where visitors can spot zebras moving quietly through the grasslands or admire the dramatic outline of the hills against Ghana’s expansive sky.

Many tours also include visits to the famous caves, hiking stops, and photo breaks that have made Shai Hills a favourite for travel photographers and content creators.

@_amirah.x_ Will you try quad biking? 😁 #fyp ♬ original sound – ᴀᴍɪʀᴀ👑❤️ | ᴅɪɢɪᴛᴀʟ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴏʀ

The reserve’s location also makes it easy to combine with nearby attractions such as the Akosombo Dam or a relaxed riverside escape along the Volta Lake area.

Why Travelers Keep Returning

What makes quad biking at Shai Hills memorable is the contrast. One moment feels intensely wild — engines roaring through dusty wilderness — and the next is unexpectedly peaceful, with only the sound of wind moving through tall grass beneath a vast African sky.

For Ghanaians, it offers a fresh way to reconnect with landscapes often overlooked in everyday life. For international visitors, it reveals a side of Ghana rarely captured in travel brochures: adventurous, untamed, and deeply tied to history.

By the time the ride ends, riders are usually coated in dust, grinning widely, and already planning a return trip.

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Sights and Sounds

Chasing Mist and Silence at Asenema Waterfall

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The first thing visitors notice at Asenema Waterfall is the sound — a steady roar rolling through the trees long before the waterfall comes into view.

Then the forest suddenly opens, revealing sheets of white water tumbling over smooth rock into a cold, clear pool below. Mist hangs in the air like morning smoke, settling softly on leaves and skin, while shafts of sunlight slip through towering trees overhead.

Located in Ghana’s Eastern Region near Akyeremade, Asenema Waterfall carries a different mood from the country’s busier tourist sites.

The journey itself feels part of the experience. Visitors walk through cocoa farms, thick greenery and narrow footpaths alive with birdsong and the rustle of insects hidden in the undergrowth. The closer one gets, the cooler the air becomes. By the time the waterfall appears, the heat of the day has already begun to fade.

A Place for Adventure, Reflection and Fresh Air

Unlike steep waterfalls that crash dramatically from cliffs, Asenema spreads itself gently over layered rock formations, creating a broad curtain of flowing water.

The effect is calming rather than intimidating. Travelers often sit on nearby stones simply listening to the water strike the rocks below in rhythmic bursts.

Swimming remains one of the biggest attractions here. The natural pool beneath the falls is refreshing after the forest walk, especially during warmer months. Many visitors also bring cameras to capture the scenery — the moss-covered rocks, drifting mist and rich green backdrop create striking photographs throughout the day.

The surrounding communities add another layer to the visit. Travelers passing through nearby towns often encounter roadside fruit sellers, cocoa farms, and locals eager to share stories about the area’s traditions and landscape. For those exploring Ghana beyond Accra’s city life, Asenema offers a slower, quieter rhythm connected closely to nature.

Why Asenema Leaves a Lasting Impression

What stays with most travelers after leaving Asenema Waterfall is not only the beauty of the falls themselves, but the feeling that comes with standing there.

The cool spray, the smell of wet earth, the endless sound of moving water and the deep green forest combine into something deeply calming.

In a world crowded with noisy attractions and hurried itineraries, Asenema Waterfall reminds visitors how powerful simple natural places can still feel when experienced slowly and fully.

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