Expat looking to team with partner/s

delusion!...nothing is possible in cv,and if it is someone will make sure somewhere for some reason that you cant do it..
dm

Sirrom123,

I just joined this forum few days ago and i noticed you are/were dissapointed with Cabo Verde .. Can I ask why?
I am considering relocating and working there - on island of Sal...that is why i am asking..

Tnx,
Darja

hi    dont bother ...i did i was full of enthusiasm...im not stupid i live a lot of places but its no good,,,theres many other places deserve yure attention and enthusiasm.......go for it but not in cape verde and especially sal....dm

I see...
Hmm well i was first introduced to Cabo Verde, Sal three years ago because i was sent as a representative of a tourist agency i worked in and i fell in love with the place.. been there three times and managed to make a few friends i'm in contact with..
I am aware that relocating there and eventually working there might be difficult but i guess if you really want something .. at least i have to try and see and if it doesn't work out i can still come back.

I'm really interested what happened that changed your mind...but of course i understand if you don't want to tell. If it would be easier you can mail me on: [email protected]

thanks,

Darja

Hi Darja,

Living and working in Cape Verde is actually quite easy and very enjoyable as you've experienced. However, doing business here is EXTREMELY difficult on a variety of levels. Just read the Ease of Doing Business index and you'll see that CV is near the bottom of the list of all countries in the world, although it has improved over the years. It's hard to imagine that it could have been worse earlier.

I'm an American who has invested in a few business in CV over the last 5 years. I've had to abandon most of them (sold all the assets and dissolved the companies) because of the massive obstacles I faced at every turn that Cape Verde's government has erected all over the place. It is almost as if they do not want outside investors and investments coming into the country. Do a search for "the ease of doing business in cape verde" and you'll find some interesting articles.

So bottom line is this - if you are looking to go to Cape Verde as a tourist or to live/work temporarily, all well and good. But if you are looking to start a business you have one of two choices: (1) be prepared for major disappointment; (2) be prepared to fight tooth and nail to overcome the constant obstacles they will throw in your path.

I am inclined to believe that Cape Verde has an official Minister of Business Prevention" with Ministry and all.

Angelo

Dear Angelo,

I really appreciate your reply. Some of the people i met there (expats) also told me obout the constant battle with the government regarding their investments / bussiness... and they really have complicated laws for expats making new job opportunities.

What i had in mind was not starting my new bussiness (at least not for a while) but at least for the beggining to work temporarely and then see how it goes. It could also be an opportunity for me to maybe work in tourism or in european tourist agencies located on Sal.. do you have any idea where to start?

So...you live there now? or you commute back and forth? I don't want to rush with this but it is something i really want to at least try..

any information would be highly appreciated.

P.S. Thank you for links -i'll check it out

Darja

Hi Darja,

I had actually started a company providing tourism services in São Vicente. I owned a bar/restaurant plus I gave tours of the island in a mini-van. I bought 5 jetskis to extend my services to that form of entertainment for tourists (and locals). I was planning to add TEN additional jobs in SV which had an amazingly high unemployment rate at the time. The mayor's office made me wait for ONE YEAR to get approval to BEGIN the service AFTER I had already brought the jetskis. Then after a year, they did everything in their power to prevent me from operating. I got fedup with the BS, sold the whole thing and moved to Praia. This is an example of the stupidity of the bureaucrats here in Cape Verde.

I was commuting back and forth at first starting in 2006, but I live here now. It is so inexpensive relative to the USA and Europe, it is really easy to swing it. For example, in Praia, I pay €250/month for rent plus all utilities, €100/month for the fastest internet line possible with more Gb of data allowance than I can use, plus about €150 for food. So for €500/month you can live very comfortably here (in Praia). I have a steady job that pays the bills, plus I sell electronic items to the university students (which I bring backwith me every time I leave CV). You can sell USB drives, cameras).

But since you are looking for work in the tourism area, you should be looking at Sal and Boa Vista. However, it's more expensive there because of the high demand for housing and services. I know some foreigners who share an apartments to lower their costs to rock-bottom levels.

To get started, you should get a 7-year entry visa from the CV consulate or embassy in your country. It costs like €40. This way, you can stay for a very long time. You'll need to take a trip every six months so you can reenter the country for another 6 months. So effectively, you have to leave and re-enter twice a year. I go to Dakar for a weekend (it's really close - 2 hour flight and really inexpensive) ... so I turn it into a mini-vacation and an opportunity to buy cheap stuff to take back to CV since it's hard to get good quality stuff in CV for a reasonable price.

Once you settle down in Sal or Boavista (and since you've been there several times already it will be easy), you should simply start visiting the tourist agencies and hotels and shop yourself and your skills around. You'll find a job in a heartbeat. If you're interested in the tourism area in Boavista, give my friend, Kai, a call at 981-7055. Or call me at 972-7157 when you get here. I can provide additional contacts.

Checkout my Fb page at greatcvadventure.

Angelo

Thank you Angelo,
This is the sort of information I have been looking for. The 7-year entry visa might be very good for me, because I was planning to spend the summers in Canary Island. What I find more disturbing was your feeling the mayor's office was very bureaucratic. I was planning to offer entertainment for tourist too, that might be stopped by bureaucrats.
Regards
Svein

Svein,

I am now living permanently in CV since later 2010. I've learned even more and there are some changes in the previous information.

First the bad news:
* The government has raise value-added taxes on many basic items such as telephone and internet services, electricity and water, so the cost of living has gotten a bit more expensive;
* The non-tourism economy has taken a bit of a turn for the worse so there is more joblessness and the business environment is tougher.

Now the good news:
* The Mayor of Sao Vicente was summarily kicked out of office in the last election due to her incompetence and corrupt ways - the new Mayor is well regarded and his office is well run;
* The costs of internet and telephone services has dramatically declined due to competition so you can still live comfortably for €500/month;
* After living in Cape Verde for a year, if you have a job or start a business, you can request a resident visa which will last for 1-year and costs €100. After 1-year you can then renew for 3 years. This way, you won't have to come and go every 6 months.

Finally, some advice:
* Do not plan to live and work in São Vicente - the tourism there is non-existent (only cruise ships pass through with visitors who stay for less  than 24 hours) and unemployment exceeds 50%.
* You should live and work in Sal or Boa Vista if you want to benefit from the tourism industry. If you start a tourism business in Sal or Boa Vista, for example, playing music for the tourists, be sure to legally REGISTER your business. If you do not, you will be stopped not by bureaucrats but by the police and you will have to pay fines. It is EXTREMELY easy to register a new business. Just go to Casa da Cidadão with your passport and €200 and you're in business (you will need to nominate a local accountant to be responsible for your financial books and they usually charge €150 for accepting the responsibility). You the total cost of starting your business is around €350. You can literally get the whole process done in 48 hours. If you need help or have questions, just email me when you arrive in Cape Verde.
* If you wish to start a non-tourism business, you should plan to live and work in Santiago because most of the CV population (50%) and thus most of the prospective customers live on that island;
* Be prepared to deal with frequent outages of energy if you live and work in Cape Verde - I bought a small diesel-powered electric generator for around €300. I fire it up whenever the power is cut so I can live and work. Every business in Cape Verde has a stand-by diesel generator. It is a business necessity if you want to stay in business and not lose customers.

FlyParamotor wrote:

Thank you Angelo,
This is the sort of information I have been looking for. The 7-year entry visa might be very good for me, because I was planning to spend the summers in Canary Island. What I find more disturbing was your feeling the mayor's office was very bureaucratic. I was planning to offer entertainment for tourist too, that might be stopped by bureaucrats.
Regards
Svein

Cheers,

Angelo

Angelo,
Thank you for your information. The change in visa regulation and cost of starting business is better than I had hope for. My plan is to do paramotor instruction and flying, but I guess this will require a lot of extra permissions. If you know who one should ask for this sort of information, it would be very good. Boa Vista might be the chosen place.
Regards
Svein

Hi Svein,

In addition to registering your business, you will need authorization from the IMP (Instituto Maritimo e Portuaria...you have to contact the IMP head office in Sao Vicente) and then you will also need an "alvara" from the Camara Municipal (Mayor's office). This should take only a couple of months to complete the process. Here in CV everything moves like molasses.

You should also apply for the "utilidade turistica" which will give you exemptions from taxes and other fiscal benefits, which are designated for certain businesses in the area of tourism (this sector accounts for 25% of the economy).

As I indicated earlier, if you need any help at all when you get to CV, simply contact me and I can point you to the specific details and instructions that you will need to follow.

Angelo

FlyParamotor wrote:

Angelo,
Thank you for your information. The change in visa regulation and cost of starting business is better than I had hope for. My plan is to do paramotor instruction and flying, but I guess this will require a lot of extra permissions. If you know who one should ask for this sort of information, it would be very good. Boa Vista might be the chosen place.
Regards
Svein