Summary

	Africa can be a good place to start a foregin service career.
	Research eases the transition into a developing region.

"During my three-year tenure in South Africa we have had the president, first lady, secretaries of State, Treasury, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Commerce, Defense and several members of the House and Senate visit," a foreign service officer working in Pretoria (about one-and-a-half hours northeast of Johannesburg) told me. This is an exceptional show of support to a region that is often forgotten by policy makers; she also noted that this tour in Africa has been one of the most rewarding in her career.

American Embassies in Africa There are forty-eight US embassies in Africa -- an almost universal presence. South Africa, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Ghana (and Kenya until the bombing) are the largest US diplomatic missions on the continent. On the Web The American Foreign Service Association www.afsa.org Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide: www.aafsw.org US embassies and other diplomatic missions: usembassy.state.gov More On Africa www.africa.com www.africanews.com The Foreign Service Exam As with a career in the foreign service in any location, you must first take and pass the Foreign Service Exam, given annually each fall. For more information on careers in the US Foreign Service, or additional embassy facts, visit www.state.gov. There is a section that provides regional information for each country, as well as a careers subtopic.

Working as a foreign service officer is a complex, exciting job. It has particular strengths and challenges on the continent of Africa. Whether you are working in political, economic, consular or administrative affairs, work in Africa provides special opportunities to interact with the highest levels of government, do critical policy work, and to feel like you are making a difference.

Most foreign service officers I interviewed really enjoyed their time in Africa. Overall, individuals expressed that embassy work in Africa affords significant opportunities to interact with the highest levels of the host country's government. Several people noted that there is generally less protocol associated with getting appointments on all sides, and that even junior- and mid-level officers are well-received in most government ministries. As one officer noted, "The best part of serving in Africa is the amount of responsibility you receive at a very junior level. I had minister-level contacts at both posts."

Embassy officers also felt that, compared to some of their other posts, the time they spent on the African continent involved more critical, decision oriented work. This was probably due to the fact that much of their work was crisis oriented and that the embassy staff was small. With limited staff, the officers explained, individuals are utilized to their full capacity and afforded the opportunity to do important policy work.

Additionally, cultural interaction among embassy staff, as well as the host country, is often very enriching. One senior officer noted, "The job lends itself to much social contact with Africans, if you want it, because the embassies are smaller, and many African cultures place great emphasis on personal relations."

The downside that some officers spoke of is the lack of interest in the region, both from many US policy makers and also the American public. Another issue in Africa, and much of the developing world, is illness. One Foreign Service officer told me, "I've had just about every illness one can get: malaria, shigella, salmonella, giardia, parasites, tapeworms, etc. I know my time on the continent has had a long term effect on my health." And security concerns have heightened as well since the two American embassy bombings in Kenya.

According to one State Department officer, "The bombings in Tanzania and Dar es Salaam changed working in Africa forever. Those of us on the continent lived in the false sense of security created by Africa's low terrorist threat situation for years. Now...terrorism is a world wide reality and we all have had to become more conscious." On a daily basis, embassy workers pass through stricter metal detectors and have more comprehensive automobile checks. Some vary travel routes to work and are overall more vigilant about personal security.

Despite these challenges, Africa remains a fulfilling, enriching place in which to have at least part of a foreign service career. One political officer summed it up this way, "I love the work we do because we often make a difference for poor, refugee, war torn and politically marginalized people in Africa. It is where new US foreign policy decisions are being made as the Cold War has ended and a new chapter in US-Africa relations is taking shape."