When you read about couch surfing, the first impression you get is that this is a place for budget travelers only.But my experience is in disagreement to this kind of attitude.
About 90 of the White travelers to Africa will find it usual to get about 50 percent extra charge on all items bought as well as services paid for in Africa. the situation is worse in the country side where all residents and business men have a thinking that all white men and women are wealthy and therefore should be charged higher whenever they are buying an item!
Some locals will genuinely ask for the same prices to buyers regardless of the skin color and race but you do not need to get surprised if a nice young man or woman asks you an amount three or four times more than the price of an item in a shop!take heart, he /she is just trying to show you that you are superior; and therefore to ask you a going price would be like underrating your economic strength!
Africans call this the "Mzungu pricing system" mzungu is a polite-racist like word used to mean White man especially in the great lakes region.
This is a situation couch surfers have been relieved of. it is much better for a traveler staying with a couch surfer to go shopping in company of a host or a local friend than to just walk in a shop.the locals then will shy away from overcharging you. yes, i have seen some western travelers bargaining in the shop but i think it is not a very popular practice and at least it isn't a polite one. so if i were a white man traveling in Africa and Uganda in particular, i would mostly rely on the advice of my local Host to understand the rates and prices.i have personaly helped a number of fiends to avoid being overcharged in many instances. from the taxi guys to the restaurants and the taxis.it is all fun but depends on how you want to spend your money in Africa. if you are blessed with enough,then why not give out some of the cash and support us?
see you soon in Uganda.
Emmanuel Tugume.
lakelyantonde@yahoo.com
+256 -772-562513
Posted July 26th, 2008 - 9:15 am by Emmanuel Tugume from Fort Portal, Uganda
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