Bujumbura, Burundi Report of what it's like to live there - 08/09/23
Personal Experiences from Bujumbura, Burundi
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
I have also lived in London, Germany, and Singapore.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Home for me is the Northeast U.S. Ghere are a few options to get back and forth, but the most reasonably priced journeys begin in NYC or DC. I usually take the route between NYC/DC – Addis Ababa – Bujumbura (you’ll probably spend a lot of time in Addis if you live in East or Central Africa, given the prominence of and investment into Ethiopian Airlines). There is also a less frequent, one-stop trip through Brussels, and a fairly new direct flight between NYC and Nairobi that opens up some options for the area. There are also some definitely longer but possibly cheaper routes through the Middle East, where you’ll swap into one of the older planes in the Emirates/Qatari fleet before shuttling down to the Great Lakes region. As of summer 2023 Bujumbura has direct flights to Kigali, Nairobi, Addis, Kigoma/Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, and Brussels.
3. What years did you live here?
Summer 2023.
4. How long have you lived here?
About three months.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
The UN.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Since I’m only around for a relatively short-term position, I’m living in an apartment close to the UN offices in Kinindo, just south of downtown. It was a little hard to find – an otherwise very helpful onboarding process went quiet when housing came up. And general online information on just about anything is very scant in Burundi; it’s not a place where you can easily plan things out online from afar. Google reviews won’t give you much to work with, but it is a beautiful place, Kinindo is a quiet and lovely neighborhood, home to embassies and diplomats, where the gardens spill over the walls.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Just about everything you need is available in the neighborhood markets here, including a lot of western-branded household items and toiletries that could be found in the States. There is one “diplomatic department store,” a pretty strange place for one who has never been in one before, that is behind a locked gate and requires a foreign passport to purchase things. It feels like a western department store. The daily cost of living is very low – one of the main benefits cited by expats staying in Burundi longer term. Standard breakfasts and lunches are generally less than USD$2, dinners out usually run less than USD$8. A pint of Primus beer runs about USD$0.80.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Nothing really for me, although I’m not cooking at home very much. Bring items and snacks that will remind you of home.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Baza Burundi is a local food delivery app, that generally works pretty well (but expect long waits with any restaurants here – time moves slow in Burundi).
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Being in a tropical lake district of central Africa, there are plenty of bugs. Particular issues with them amongst expats are anecdotal – my apartment has been lucky to not have any big problems, but some friends are dealing with ant infestations. Be good about putting away food. After dark, mosquitos can be pretty intense without the right preparations, but as long as you have some good spray, skin lotion, and mosquito coils, it’s no issue to be outside in the evenings.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
There are FedEx and DHL offices in town, but I haven’t personally had anything shipped here. Local postal facilities are not reliable.
2. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
There are gyms at all of the conference-type hotels, which are okay but tend to be hot and cramped. A few new gym upstarts are now advertising on Instagram. I would recommend Inkuba, which is a very nice spot with good facilities.
3. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
No, no, and no. The only place you can use a credit card is the aforementioned diplomatic duty free store, and an upscale French bakery downtown. Most UN expats I know use the drivers to exchange USD for Francs – and from there everything is paid in cash. Some places like hotels etc will only let you pay in new USD $100s or $50s.
4. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Lots of religious services: availability in Kirundi, French, and English in that order.
5. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Most Burundians speak Kirundi, Kinyarwanda, French, and Swahili. Employees of international orgs, embassies, or in the service industry speak English as well, but it would be difficult and not very fun if you have zero French as an expat. And as others have mentioned in other posts - a little Kirundi goes a long way.
6. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Very much so.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Your employer will probably tell you to stay away from all of them, as general road safety and theft are definite issues. I’d say that taxis are fine for trips around the city, but some of them are literally falling apart, so use your head and don’t get in a bad car. There are many accidents and road injuries in Burundi.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
As you can imagine – land cruisers, Toyota SUVs, trucks. Some people brought scrambler-style motorcycles or dirtbikes as well.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Available but not very reliable. And even if the internet is running smoothly for you, the city’s power will probably blow out shortly.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Lumitel and Econet are low-cost local providers.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
All kinds of opportunities.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Ranges from people in full suits to tee shirt and jeans on a daily basis. But there is generally a more formal tone for public-sector meetings, so if you’re working with the government, expect to be business-formal.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Official guidance is to not be out after dark in Bujumbura, which tracks. If you are a white foreigner you will generally attract a lot of attention, and even if the vast majority of it is from the very friendly Burundians – it helps to keep in mind that this is the poorest country in the world and many people on the streets are desperate. I’ve heard of a few situations escalating.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care here is generally not very good. If it's anything serious, you’ll be flown to Nairobi.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Moderate in Bujumbura, fine in rural areas away from the hot miasma of the city.
4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Just south of the equator and at slight elevation, the weather is pretty consistent throughout the year (80s during the day and 70s at night). It gets much cooler away from Bujumbura – in the hills – in the evenings, which is really nice if you need a break from the city heat.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Being a francophone country and a former Belgian colony, there are a decent amount of French and Belgian expats. Far less Americans in general, but there is a relatively new embassy and a well-respected ambassador here at the moment. In the development space, the Germans, Japanese, and Dutch are here as well. Morale seems just OK based on the conversations that I’ve had – people tend to bond over the certain difficulties of living in Burundi. I think another post on here said something along the lines of “if you’re here, you wanted to be here” – and I think that’s accurate. It’s a francophone notch on certain expats belts, many of whom have just come from or are about to head to Dakar, Bamako, Abidjan, etc.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Not a ton to do, but I have found Burundians to be exceedingly kind and generous. Even with a transient intern that would be gone in a few months, I was invited to eat, socialize, and travel with the families of a few local friends. But things can get repetitive… there are a few restaurants and bars that people tend to go to, or more frequently, just have get-togethers at houses.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Would say as a single that it is not a great place for singles – could see this as a decent place for families with young kids, who could run around the big yard of their parent’s beautiful house in the hills and go to international schools. I enjoy being on my own but since the travel opportunities are limited or expensive, Bujumbura felt pretty isolating at times.
4. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Would recommend heading somewhere else.
5. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
Road trip to Rwanda, getting away from the city and up into the hills, staycations at the few nice hotels (Sunstone Beach, Kiriri Gardens, Hotel Club du Lac)
6. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
There are a few cool places to stay in Bugarama, not far from Bujumbura, where the temperatures are cooler and the views are beautiful. Hiking around the tea trails in Teza. Visiting the capital, Gitega.
7. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Some beautiful local craftwork to be found.
8. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
The incredibly low cost of living. Especially if you are coming with USD, you will have unlocked an unofficial exchange rate, and your dollars will go very far. The weather is beautiful and the lake is too (except you can’t really swim in it in Bujumbura because of the hippos and the crocodiles, so go south to Sunstone Beach for that). Discovering the beauty of a place that many have never even heard of.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
That travel to the surrounding region (besides Rwanda) would be very expensive. That departing from the airport for an international flight is an insane experience even by developing country standards. That living downtown is not the move – get a place with a garden on the hills.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
I would come back for a short-term stay, but I think that 2-3 years would be too much for me.
3. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The Dynamics of Violence in Central Africa (Rene Lemarchand)
