Want a Meaningful Detty December? Expert Tips to Travel Ethically in Africa

For the past few years, since Detty December became a cultural staple, attracting thousands of visitors from the diaspora to Nigeria and Ghana, Koffi Iddrisu, a Ghanaian local, has been noticing a disturbing pattern. This pattern is something he calls “Performance Poverty Tourism”, an age-old practice of tourists engaging with local communities and locals with exoticism rather than a genuine interest in local cultures and customs.

Conceptually, it’s not novel. Foreigners have always treated the African continent as an extractive site of unending fascination. It is a drastic leftover from colonial times that takes on an uglier tone when perpetuated by other Black people with stronger passports visiting the continent during the festive period. In recent years, “slum tours” have become a common part of any tourist experience. This is a practice, which began with the Upper class in the Victorian era and trickled down to the continent in the early 1990s, where tour guides organize visits to poor and economically disadvantaged areas in African countries as part of a tour experience. And although that practice is commonly frowned upon in many parts of the world, it still prevails in countries on the African continent. And in an age of social media, the act of slumming often doesn’t need official guide tours.

“People filming children, neighborhoods, or market women without consent as if they’re props in their 'Africa trip' montage,” Iddrisu tells OkayAfrica as an example of some of these unethical practices of engaging with local communities on the continent. Iddrisu, who runs Archive Africa, a platform preserving and democratizing access to African archival photographs, explains that this behavior often extends beyond indiscriminate recording. The main problem is that for many tourists visiting the continent during this festive period, there is a lack of ethical and respectful engagement with the local community that sours the experience for locals.

In addition to recording practices, Iddrisu also cites “Condescension disguised as discovery, talking to Ghanaians like they’re museum guides meant to explain their own everyday lives. Complaining loudly about prices when in reality, Detty December is the peak season everywhere. Local people are also paying the same inflated rates.”

“Hyper-party entitlement” is another concept he points out. Broken down, this term refers to when tourists treat actual cities and places where everyday people make their homes “like the city is a festival built exclusively for them, forgetting people actually live here, work here, and commute through the chaos.”

In 2024 alone, Ghana welcomed 1.2 million people to the country, generating immense revenue for its tourism sector. Of that number, Detty December takes the biggest share. For 1-2 months, Ghana is fuller, traffic jams last longer, and parties keep swinging round the clock. This influx of tourists has been heavily supported and sometimes organized by the Ghanaian government with initiatives such as The Year of Return in 2019. And while it has resulted in a boom for local businesses and attracted increased investment in the creative sector, with festivals and parties providing job opportunities for locals, it’s also shifted how these places are perceived in the eyes of tourists.

For most locals, this pattern of unethical engagement mirrors what’s happening in Lagos. During Detty December, Lagos and Accra continue to attract the most visitors. They are both cultural capitals in their respective countries where most highly anticipated activities happen, thereby concentrating a heavy portion of the visitors in one place. 

Last year, reports of tourists initiating chargebacks on cards used to make purchases in Accra or Lagos made the rounds. This pattern is another way in which unethical travel practices are perpetuated. “I have a few friends who work in the service industry or own businesses. This is purely anecdotal, but I think it was prevalent last year,” Lagos-based writer and curator Chibuzo Emmanuel says.

The Way Forward: Expert Tips for Mindful Detty December

While locals are grappling with the influx of tourists and unethical travel practices, in countries like Nigeria, that concern is worsened by a country in an economic and security crisis.

“For as long as I can remember, Detty December in Nigeria has always buzzed with a palpably boisterous energy — Nigerians are famously sanguine. This year, however, that excitement is undercut by a haunting sense of anxiety and disaffection,” Emmanuel explains. “The safety concerns in the country are worsening by the second. Crucially, the government’s posture on the matter has been lackluster. There's also the cost-of-living crisis. Consider the obscenely high prices of concert tickets.”

But these stressors can be made easier if tourists take a different approach to engaging Detty December. First, Iddrisu recommends asking permission before recording. “Ghanaians are warm, but people deserve privacy. A simple “Is it okay if I take a picture?” goes a long way. Remember, Ghana isn’t a theme park; it’s a living ecosystem. Be curious, but don’t treat people like exhibits. Learn small courtesies; greetings matter here. A good “Good afternoon” softens everything. Tip fairly and pay fairly; service workers often carry December on their backs. A bit of generosity is remembered.”

Iddrisu also recommends desaturating your spending. By visiting neighborhood spots and not just big ticket venues, money circulates through the communities that actually need it most. Iddrisu also adds that tourists lead with patience. In a period where traffic and lines will be long, it is best to extend grace and not derision. 

Lastly, “Don’t romanticize or pity, appreciate the culture without reducing it to hardship narratives. Respect personal space and boundaries; not every interaction is transactional or flirtatious. Ghanaian social etiquette can be subtle. Keep an open mind

December is fun because of the blend of worlds. Let Ghana teach you without forcing your expectations onto it.”

For Emmanuel, the best mode of engagement would start by not treating locals like exotic concepts.

“Filming is okay, but make sure to get consent if you're pointing a camera at someone. Be respectful. Travel often, ironically, insulates one from the communities they visit. So it's important to resist this very natural tendency. Don't stick with the drawn-out itinerary provided by a tour guide. Try to experience life as a local would. Visit the markets. Eat at local restaurants. There is an excess of intimate events — exhibitions, group activities — to experience, seek those out.”

Some of these experiences Emmanuel recommends include “The Afrobeats Rebellion Exhibition in Lagos, which offers a panoramic view of Fela, not just as an icon, but as a person who walked this earth like the rest of us. For the best food in Lagos, visit Nok by Alara, Cilantro, and, not least, La Taverna.”