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More African-American professionals and families are finding a place to call home in Africa, sparking economic growth beyond cities. This relocation wave transforms markets, drives innovation, and opens new opportunities in real estate, healthcare, and business.
When Kea Wakesho Simmons first arrived in Kenya, she wasn’t just chasing a new destination but tracing a vision.
“I wanted to be a bridge,” she explained in an interview. “Connecting people to opportunities, culture, and community—so we can all grow together.”
That bridge has since become a business. Simmons is the founder and CEO of Traverze Culture, a concierge relocation and travel company that caters to people of African descent who live in the Western world, particularly the United States. It thrives at the intersection of African-American migration and Kenya’s global appeal.
Her story illustrates a rising opportunity: as more foreigners, particularly from the United States and Europe, choose to settle in Africa—not just visit—new industries are taking shape in response.
Traverze Culture specialises in relocation systems, medical tourism, and business development, with Kenya as its central hub.
“We’ve brought over 300 African-Americans to Kenya,” Simmons explained, “and we’ve helped young families, retirees, and entrepreneurs make this country their new home.”
What began in 2018 under her former brand, ‘World Views,’ has now evolved into a streamlined relocation enterprise. By 2023, Traverze was rebranded and repositioned, drawing clients aged 25 to 65, from solo professionals to multi-generational families.
“One of our oldest clients was 71 on a trip,” she noted, “and we have a high retention rate. Some clients come back every year.”
The relocation wave is far more than cultural—it’s economic.
“Real estate is the first and most visible area,” Simmons noted. Traverze has ventures under Pineville Development, helping clients secure homes and land in Nairobi and its outskirts. But the scope is widening. “We’re seeing growing interest in agriculture and healthcare, too,” she added.
Her company recently signed a medical tourism contract with Nairobi Hospital, making them “certified facilitators.”
“This isn’t just tourism—it’s long-term investment.”
According to Simmons, the influx of foreign residents is shaping the housing market and stimulating high-multiplier sectors like private healthcare, education, and wellness.
“These relocations are an economic catalyst,” she said. “Returnees and newcomers aren’t just spending—they’re building.”
Global institutions are following suit. In one of its biggest restructurings yet, the UN is shifting key operations to Nairobi—most notably UNFPA, which is relocating 25% of its global staff from New York and setting up a major regional base. The Department of Operational Support and the Office of Information and Communications Technology are following suit.
The move is more than symbolic. It reflects Nairobi’s rise as a preferred hub for global operations, which could result in new jobs, higher demand for commercial space, and the hospitality sector.
So why Kenya? Simmons had a simple answer: “The people.”
“I call Kenyans magical because of their welcoming spirit. I have the best team in Kenya—they believe in my dream and have taken it as their own—we are family.”
Yet even as the market grows, policy hasn’t entirely kept pace. “There’s no real immigration law allowing someone to relocate and work remotely,” Simmons explained.
“A digital nomad permit was announced in 2023, but it still hasn’t appeared on the immigration website.”Her latest push—Journey Back to Eden—calls on 200 diaspora changemakers to relocate to Kenya this year and build roots through “conscious commerce.”
However, as urban centres like ‘Kilimani’ become more congested, she expects the interest in relocation to ripple outward.
“People are looking for quieter, more cost-effective lifestyles in areas like Machakos or Rongai,” she explained. “We’re preparing for that shift.”
Grammy-nominated artist and entrepreneur Kelis is among the high-profile names to make the move. In 2023, she relocated to Kenya and purchased farmland in Naivasha, a town 93km west of Nairobi.
Outside Kenya, African-American migration continues to deepen its roots across Africa, especially in the eastern and western regions.
While Ghana is a well-established destination for this migration, Rwanda and Senegal have also emerged, leveraging favourable policies, infrastructural ambitions, and political stability to draw global citizens.
Rwanda’s approach is part streamlined bureaucracy, part bold ambition. The Rwanda Development Board now offers a dedicated W2 visa for tech founders, renewable annually, tailored to entrepreneurs who register a company and lease local office space.
At US$175, it’s significantly cheaper than comparable routes in Western markets.
According to RDB documents, the Z2 investor permit, valid for up to five years, complements this and is aimed at non-Africans setting up businesses beyond tech.
These are supported by Rwanda’s 2020 nationality law, which allows fast-track citizenship for investors making “substantial and sustainable” contributions.
Anchoring Rwanda’s long-term vision is the US$300 million Kigali Innovation City, a tech-education cluster backed by the African Development Bank and private investors. The RDB projects it will create over 50,000 jobs and attract global capital across industries.
Kigali also boasts a strong digital infrastructure, offering 100 Mbps fibre service in most central areas. A 2025 survey by the Kigali Expat Network notes that a furnished two-bedroom apartment rents for US$800 to US$1,200, with basic living costs well below Western standards.
Across the continent, Senegal has also refined its pitch to Western migrants, especially Europeans.
According to the Ministry of Interior, EU citizens enter visa-free and may apply for a renewable one-year residency permit under the Carte d’Identité d’Étranger.
More importantly, Senegal offers an income tax exemption on foreign-sourced income. As reported by Les Échos Sénégal, remote workers and digital nomads legally owe zero local tax on income earned abroad, making Senegal more attractive than destinations like Portugal or Spain.
Senegal’s 2025 Digital Economy Horizon Plan seeks to position the country as a tech hub by 2034. According to the Ministry of Digital Economy, the plan includes incubators, data centres, and grants—all of which will appeal to high-skill migrants.
Kim Rochette and Megan Carpenter, two American creatives, moved to Dakar and launched Six Bougies, a lifestyle brand using West African textiles. “The design scene is rich, and the sourcing here is unmatched,” Rochette told Vogue Business.
In Saly, a beach town on the Petite Côte, European retirees are acquiring affordable homes. AfrikInvest Realty reports a 4% to 6% annual rise in land prices, driven by French and Belgian pensioners. A three-bedroom villa sells for as little as €120,000 (more than US$135,000)—far below European market rates.
African-American investors and entrepreneurs encourage others not to be intimidated by French as a language barrier. In 2021, about 75 Americans visited Dakar for a seven-day event called “The Return.” The program aimed to expose African-Americans to opportunities in Senegal and deepen the historic connection between West Africa and African-Americans. The U.S. Embassy in Dakar hosted the opening ceremony.
Institutional relocations within Senegal are also gaining momentum. The US$2 billion Diamniadio Lake City, just 40 km from Dakar, is consolidating Senegal’s ministries and universities. Meanwhile, the Sandiara Free Economic Zone has drawn investment from Twyford Ceramics and U.S.-linked apparel firms.
As noted in The Africa Report, this mirrors Rwanda’s economic zones, where customs relief and tax holidays have attracted Indian, Turkish, and British companies, many of which are building regional headquarters.
Despite these shifts, Rwanda and Senegal have not implemented formal digital nomad visas. Rwanda’s Immigration Directorate acknowledged a proposal under review in 2024, while Senegal’s Ministry of Finance evaluates tax policies for remote workers.
Still, many foreigners live and work under investor or tourist permits with de facto residency. And as Josh Ruxin puts it, “What’s magical about Rwanda is not the paperwork. It’s the clarity of purpose, the space to build, and the belief that your presence matters.”
Credit: Bonface Orucho, Bird Story Agency
