Rob is an IT Professional who has worked across the USA, Central America, Europe, and the African Continent, and he is a Digital Nomad who is embracing his freedom.

Before we jump in, AWM is excited to share that our family was featured in a New York Times write-up about Black travelers making a new life throughout Africa.

The article can be a launchpad for the curious one planning their next moves outside the United States and just the inspirational read you’ve been looking for.

Rob’s Digital Nomad Life

Be adaptable and flexible. Being too rigid or stuck in your ways will make for a miserable experience working abroad.

Curiosity helps with that. Fascination with the local culture, food, history, and way of life can create great work and social opportunities while abroad.

As of this writing, Tanzania/Zanzibar do not yet have an official Digital Nomad Visa program, but they do have various other visa types and remote work options.

One thing that helped Rob was how he minimized his life so that he can get up and go at a moment’s notice.

(I wonder if Rob’s favorite movie is HEAT starring Robert DeNiro?)

While abroad Rob doesn’t have a house to maintain and he takes local transportation, rents when necessary, or at the very least, bought a motorbike.

Next – have a base country. Find a central location from where you can travel from that location.

Rob is an experienced traveler at this point so he can bounce around wherever the wind blows him, plus prior to becoming a Digital Nomad he minimized his life as advised above.

Definitely have a plan before traveling anywhere.

If you need help, AwakenWithMArk offers a free downloadable map called the 3 Pillars of Success for any project you’re working on.

Global tree arbitrage is an amazing thing so depending on where you’re living and working from abroad – like Zanzibar – you will have more money.

You might not make more, but you will have more, especially if you budget and track your spending, which we’re a fan of at The Awaken Letter.

Rob earns in USD and live in TSH (Tanzanian Shilling).

Conversions change daily but at the time of this writing, 2,551 Tanzania Shillings is the equivalent of 1 U.S. dollar.

Regarding health, assuming you’re a U.S. citizen you can leave during local holidays like Ramadan, if you live in Zanzibar/Tanzania, and pay your U.S. taxes and get an annual physical before flying back to Zanzibar.

And one of Rob’s favorite things about being a Digital Nomad is that is immediately allows for exploration of your new host country.

He loves swimming at beaches, nightlife, the countryside, history, and obviously isn’t afraid to travel solo.

But he’s great with people too and loves making new friends both for work (more on that later) and socially.

Challenges of Digital Nomad Life

Time Zones – your clients are just waking up while it’s midday for you.

And often times one will get very late-night calls from family who keep forgetting you’re halfway around the world.

So schedule your work and sleep accordingly so that your tasks don’t fall through the cracks and you get fired.

If you do get fired you can get your family back for that 3 AM call by blowing up their phone late in their Time Zone to tell them all about it.

Infrastructure and the Internet are the most important otherwise you can’t work.

After all, you do work in the digital world.

Some may pay as much for Internet as they do for rent, depending on your base of work.

And it can be substantially more expensive and slower compared to the West standards you’re used to.

Consider buying business plans from your Internet provider to get you up and running.

Electricity and power outages – they can be unpredictable and last for a few minutes to an entire working day.

Take note – island life can be dreamy, but islands also often have the most struggles with power and slow Internet speed.

As always, do exhaustive research when taking jobs to ensure your host island country is the best fit for you.

Remember, some of these assignments can last for several weeks and even months – not ideal if you’re fighting with power and WiFi.

Again – research.

In Rob’s case here in Zanzibar, he had to learn about pre-paid utilities and also where to get gas for his oven as electric ovens can be rare or very expensive.

How do you take care of these things in a new place?

Research and befriending the locals – even if it’s just one or two trusted new friends.

Connecting with the locals can make digital nomad life much better and will teach you how to live your best life.

They can show you how to shop cost-effectively, how to find the best means of getting around the area you’re living in, and everything in between.

Want to Be a Digital Nomad?

Rob’s final thoughts for aspiring remote workers.

Know yourself and how you want to live.

What’s most important to you?

Know what you like.

Do you love cities?

Are you more in love with the countryside?

Are islands your preference?

Or would you rather live in a land-locked country, or at least reside somewhere on the coast?

If you love a slow, quiet, beach life then that automatically excludes certain places with a lot of traffic, big cities, and no beach life.

Maybe note those places for vacation only.

It’s up to you. Reflect, research, and design your ideal workflow and environment.

No one else can do it for you.

If you need help figuring out if you’re ready to live abroad, AWM offers the Epic Africa Move Starter Guide eBook for free digital download.

Another piece of advice.

Consider that the image of the Digital Nomad and remote worker life in your head might not be the reality.

It’s unfair to dislike a place because it’s not like where you left, like the U.S.

For example, Zanzibar is not Tulum, which is also not Paris.

A fair and balanced mindset about a place is key so beware of having an unfair or distorted view of the place you’re staying in.

Also, watch out for the expat bubble.

How do you know that you’re in Africa or Asia if you’re only spending time with and talking to other Americans and eating the same food you ate at home?

Embrace the place you’re going will help you succeed and make the nomad experience more enjoyable.

You don’t have to dive in all at once, baby steps.

Just know what living there means.

Your network of friends and business associates can be found in social media and also just by venturing out to the local hangout.

You have to meet strangers when in a new place.

You can figure it out for yourself but you’ll make mistakes – but also you can learn that way too.

It’s all a learning experience, we just don’t want you to have to struggle too much.

Also, ways to save money:

• • Cook at home

• • Eat local (no American fast food/restaurants)

• • Rent a car

• • Buy a car/motor bike/scooter

• • Not too much local transportation 

Further Research

You need to know…

Digital Nomad Visa Coverages

• • Healthcare

• • Cell Phone (International plans)

• • Internet Service (speed is key)

• • Visa Requirements
    – Length
    – Income requirements
    – Family Sponsorship

Keep in mind that wherever you want to go and work housing prices, rent prices, inflation rates, etc. all depends on when you’re researching your country(s) of choice.

Remember that rankings and stats change all the time – even daily.

Walk in faith in The Most High, do your due diligence, and own the research process.

And visit the countries you’re interested in when and if possible if you’re planning to move there for good.

FYI – South Africa, Tanzania, and Mauritius are just a few of the best African countries for Digital Nomads.

Mauritius has a Digital Nomad program with a 2-year visa.

The island nation has one of the strongest passports and infrastructures in East Africa and might be worth looking into.

No matter what industry you work in, AWM offers the Epic Africa Move Workbook for all serious travelers ready to organize their move in the next 1 – 2 years.

The workbook is built on the assessments you made in your Epic Africa Move Starter Guide and will help in the next phase of your move.

Thanks for reading.

Have a great weekend fellow Visionaries.

 – Josiah & the Bradley Family.