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Possibly, even given Betteridge's Law of Headlines. The article is quite right that sending money is very expensive in Africa. I have employed (and still do emp

Possibly, even given Betteridge's Law of Headlines. The article is quite right that sending money is very expensive in Africa. I have employed (and still do employ) a few migrant workers and I can assure you half their pay goes home and that it costs a hefty cut for them to do so. I've experimented with various ways of making it easier for them, but short of sewing US dollars into their clothing when they travel home, there isn't much out there. The more SADCC countries start accepting Bitcoin, the easier this will become.

sanswork 12y ago
Are they working legally? If so why don't they just carry the money home with them. As long as they declare it if it's over the threshold($10,000 in the US) and they have proof of work which they should have if it was legal work they will almost certainly have no problems.
- dagw 12y ago
  almost certainly have no problems. would you trust your life's savings to a bored and underpaid customs official in a poor country not 'fining' you for not having the correct paper work, or even just accusing you of forging the paperwork and confiscating the cash?
  - sanswork 12y ago
    More than I'd trust some random person promising to give me cash for my bitcoin.
    - DickingAround 12y ago
      No way. You'd really trust you luck with crooked cops on both sides of the border (look up civil forfeiture)? Even if it took a sec to find a bitcoin broker, it's far harder to steal so you'll eventually get your fiat money even if you have to look around for a buyer.
- glomph 12y ago
  Are you serious?
- camperman 12y ago
  In the First World, yes. Easy cross-border is an exception on this continent though. To give you an example, I traveled from South Africa to Zimbabwe via the Beitbridge border post last year and it was an absolute nightmare, taking nearly 8 hours just to get through the Zimbabwe side. Our party was flush with US dollars (they don't take anything else), had all the paperwork and an infinite supply of patience. We could at least afford to pay the ridiculous "fees" and "levies" to get in. My workers? Not so much. You are at the mercy of the staff at an African border post. And boy do they know it.

sanswork 12y ago

Are they working legally? If so why don't they just carry the money home with them. As long as they declare it if it's over the threshold($10,000 in the US) and they have proof of work which they should have if it was legal work they will almost certainly have no problems.

dagw 12y ago
almost certainly have no problems. would you trust your life's savings to a bored and underpaid customs official in a poor country not 'fining' you for not having the correct paper work, or even just accusing you of forging the paperwork and confiscating the cash?
- sanswork 12y ago
  More than I'd trust some random person promising to give me cash for my bitcoin.
  - DickingAround 12y ago
    No way. You'd really trust you luck with crooked cops on both sides of the border (look up civil forfeiture)? Even if it took a sec to find a bitcoin broker, it's far harder to steal so you'll eventually get your fiat money even if you have to look around for a buyer.
glomph 12y ago
Are you serious?
camperman 12y ago
In the First World, yes. Easy cross-border is an exception on this continent though. To give you an example, I traveled from South Africa to Zimbabwe via the Beitbridge border post last year and it was an absolute nightmare, taking nearly 8 hours just to get through the Zimbabwe side. Our party was flush with US dollars (they don't take anything else), had all the paperwork and an infinite supply of patience. We could at least afford to pay the ridiculous "fees" and "levies" to get in. My workers? Not so much. You are at the mercy of the staff at an African border post. And boy do they know it.