Dakar - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Very available. Housekeepers/nannies who worked with US Embassy staff will probably ask between $300-400+ per month. Other expatriate French speakers seem to pay about $250. - Oct 2024
Help is abundant and inexpensive here. Many people have house keepers, cooks, nannies, and drivers. You can also find people that do all of the above. English-speaking help is also available but more in demand so harder to find. - Apr 2022
Household help is affordable and readily available. Most singles had someone clean a couple of times a week, and many families had full-time household help and nannies. Dust is a huge problem, so it is worth the expense. - Jul 2020
Help is available and most household help are third-country nationals. Figure around $200/month for a nanny or housekeeper, $300 or more for a cook or driver. Prices may vary. - Dec 2019
Affordable. Our maid tends to be a little on the slower side, but I think it's just cultural. She is eager to learn and will take instruction gladly. All the maids/nannies I have met are very sweet; ours is part of the family! There are plenty of shared drivers, most have full-time nanny and part time house-help. - Dec 2018
Household help is easy to find, but quality in the person is another story. It's cheaper in the States. I pay a housekeeper US$270 for 3 full time days - 9-3:30. She does an okay job, but I feel like I need to pay attention to the work being done. I have heard there is some theft, so always get someone that has been referred. - Dec 2018
Readily available, however you need to speak French to communicate. - Jun 2017
US$150 - $200/month for full time help. Easy to find, but most don't speak English. - Apr 2016
It's very available and cheap. We have an excellent nanny and also have a part-time gardener. - Aug 2015
Domestic help of all kinds is readily available and very reasonably priced. A full time housekeeper/cook would be about US$250 - $300/month. Part time gardeners run about US$100-$150/month. Several families (especially tandem couples) had drivers, but I do not know the cost. CLO posts recommendations on their blog (clodakar.wordpress.com). - Aug 2014
Widely available, varying quality. We pay a cook about US$250 per month. Nannies make about the same. Drivers make more. - Apr 2014
Generally pretty good. Full-time help will around $16/day for someone recommended with experience. - Jun 2013
Easily available. Costs range from $20 to $200 month, depending. - Mar 2013
Inexpensive -- US$200 per month for a full-time housekeeper. Many also cook. Gardeners and drivers are also cheap. - Mar 2012
Our cook is fantastic and makes amazing food for $350 per month. There are always lots of people wanting to be nannies and finding a good one is the trick. - Aug 2011
widely available - full time maid $80/week. Make sure you know a little bit about Senegalese labor laws (you are required to provide paid vacation and severance pay for example) - Jan 2011
We pay on the high side but it's still affordable. We pay our househelp 150,000CFA/month (approx. $300) for 40 hours a week and our live-in gardener/day guard 125,000CFA/month ($250). - Feb 2010
Often more than $200/month - at least in diplomatic community. - Feb 2010
Available everywhere. Expats tend to pay at least 100-120,000 CFA a month ($250) for a qualified maid. - Jan 2010
We pay our housekeeper about US$250, including benefits. Help is available - May 2009
