Abstract:
The pivot of this study is that while the prospects of regional interaction and integration for political and economic development in Africa have been well researched, the implications of intercultural communication have not received as much scholarly attention. The expectations and intercultural communication experiences of Kenyans in Ghana were, therefore, examined in order to understand the ways in which the visa-free entry policy, driven by the African Union, might influence the immigrant public’s expectations and experiences of their host populations. Specifically, the study employed a qualitative approach, involving individual interviews with 21 adult Kenyans over a two-month period, to adduce empirical evidence on: how Kenyans in Ghana encounter and react to the host cultures; how those interactions affect their native cultural identities; and how these experiences inform their appreciation of the AU visa-free movement policy for African integration. Four main findings were made: Kenyans have positive intercultural communication experiences in Ghana, showing that visa-free policies encourage intercultural relations and integration, stereotypes held by Kenyans about Ghanaians were largely disabused, demonstrating the relevance of physical movements among African countries for removing cultural barriers, respondents’ experiences of the Ghana Immigration Service during residency permit renewals were positive, and this can facilitate sustainable intra-Africa movements, though their experiences of Ghanaians were positive, respondents maintained their cultural identities, demonstrating that culturally diverse identities in Africa are not a constraint to regional unity. Three main recommendations were made, that: the Ghana Immigration Service can create a feedback platform on its website for people. Such feedback can provide useful information for visitors, facilitate migration to Ghana, encourage more intercultural interactions and deepen relations between non-Ghanaians and Ghanaians, national agencies such as the Ghana Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture should monitor and
University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh
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review the contents of movies and internet sites on Ghanaian culture, to minimise false information that causes stereotype, improve information flow, and facilitate fruitful intercultural communication between non-Ghanaians and Ghanaians, on the basis of the positive intercultural communication experiences of the Kenyans in Ghana, the African Union should speed up with the visa-free movement policy to facilitate more movement between African states, bring cultures into contact with each other and promote intercultural interactions among Africans.
