Money matters

One of the first things to get to grips with in a new country is the currency - not only what it looks like but also the exchange rate and what you should be paying for different things.

The currency in Chad is the Central African Franc (CFA), which is also used in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is one of those currencies with lots of zeros and there are a variety of different notes and coins, although the smaller denominations are in quite short supply.

Some CFA bank notes

There are about 500 CFA to 1 USD and 800 CFA to 1 GBP so I spend a lot of my time doing mental arithmetic trying to work out how much things cost.

My first experience of buying vegetables from a street seller revealed that the most common amount charged is 500 (cinq cent) CFA - for half a kilo of tomatoes, peppers or onions. It was also what I would have been charged for 3 large carrots (I was very excited to see carrots for sale!) but when I opened my purse I only had either a 10,000 CFA note or 250 CFA in coins and the vendor had no change so I got the carrots for half-price. I guess he is hoping I will become one of his regular customers and give him the money owed next time I buy from him, which I probably will. I have found that it is important to get to know the people you buy from as that way you can also avoid the 'khawaja tax' - the extra bit of money that is added to every transaction because you are a 'khawaja' (the Arabic word for 'white person' or 'foreigner').