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The African Gourmet

The African Gourmet: Explore African Culture & Recipes

One bowl of fufu can explain a war. One proverb can outsmart a drought.
Welcome to the real Africa—told through food, memory, and truth.

Christmas & New Year in Africa

Christmas & New Year Across Africa

Holiday traditions, recipes, and celebrations

Christmas across Africa

Merry Christmas in African Languages

Traditions
Krampus dessert

Krampus's Favorite African Dessert

Recipes
New Year fireworks in Africa

How Africa Celebrates New Year

Celebrations
Black eyed pea casserole

New Year's Black Eyed Pea Casserole

Luck & Prosperity

FOOD PROVERBS

African Food Proverbs

Culinary wisdom passed down through generations

African food sayings and proverb

Best Ten African Food Sayings & Proverbs

Culinary Wisdom
Meat stew representing animal wisdom

Honoring Animal: African Wisdom of Thankfulness

Gratitude
Diverse hands placing food on shared table

Bring Something to the Table

Community
Lemon varieties representing spice of life

6 African Proverbs That Will Spice Up Your Cooking

Transformation

Sakawa Boys African Dating Money Scams

Explore More Content

📁 African facts

Popular in This Category

I love you so send me money African dating scams. Dating scams cost victims over 80 million dollars a year from Sakawa boys in Ghana.

African Dating and Money Scams

Sakawa Boys African Dating Money Scams

You already know to be cautious whenever you go online, so you don't fall prey to the scammers that flourish on the internet. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. People throughout the world have fallen victim to dating scams from individuals and companies allegedly based throughout Africa. An individual claiming to be trapped in Africa and needs financial assistance to return to the United States is usually the common storyline.

Typically other scam operations begin with an unsolicited communication, usually by phone, email, Facebook or more commonly on dating websites, from an individual who describes a situation that promises a quick return on money or needs a desperate loan for an emergency overseas. In other words, someone needs money in someplace and your help is needed to do it.

Dating scams target lonely single women and men looking for love online. Dating scams cost victims about 80 million dollars in 2014, an average of 14,000 thousand dollars per victim according to the FBI’s fraud report online statistics. Love already leaves you emotionally vulnerable, but you can't let that vulnerability blend over into other areas of your life as well and fall for internet scams based in Africa. 

Online catfishes or fraudsters pretend to be beautiful women. They play clips of the women-saying hello. They then tell their targets that their microphone or speakers are not working so they cannot speak, they can only communicate via messages. Over time, they build up a romantic relationship with them before convincing them to send them money.

Others pretend to have a concession in gold, timber, securities or oil to persuade people to hand over money for their fake business arrangements. The group of fraudsters has come to be known as the Sakawa boys in Ghana, a term which means putting inside in the Hausa language. Sakawa boys are known specifically for online dating scams but have since broadened to include all types of online frauds and scams mainly targeting foreigners. 

Cybercrime contributed to Ghana being blacklisted for money laundering by the international watchdog the global Financial Action Task Force in 2012. If you are concerned about an American in distress overseas, but you are not sure if it is a legitimate case, call the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747. 

If you are concerned someone may be impersonating a friend or loved one on Facebook, change your privacy settings and report the profile and follow the on-screen instructions to file a report. Dating scam victims go to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center www.ic3.gov/default.aspx and file an online complaint.

The best way to avoid becoming a victim of a scam from Africa or any place else in the world is to use common sense. Do not wire or transfer money to anyone you’ve never met in person no matter how much they profess instant unending passionate love for you.


Together we build awareness that boost harmony, education, and success, below are more links to articles you will find thought provoking.

  1. African Country Names Your Saying Wrong
  2. What do Waist Beads Symbolize in Africa?
  3. About African Healers and Witchdoctors
  4. Hurricanes are Angry African Ancestors
  5. Highest Temperature and Lowest Temperature in Africa
  6. About African Night Running


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For 19 years, The African Gourmet has preserved Africa's stories is currently selected for expert consideration by the Library of Congress Web Archives, the world's premier guardian of cultural heritage.

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Recipes as Revolution

Recipes as Revolution

When food becomes protest and meals carry political meaning

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African woman farmer

She Feeds Africa

Before sunrise, after sunset, seven days a week — she grows the food that keeps the continent alive.

60–80 % of Africa’s calories come from her hands.
Yet the land, the credit, and the recognition still belong to someone else.

Read her story →

To every mother of millet and miracles —
thank you.

Working Hands of Africa

The labor and love that feeds a continent

Hands holding African fruit

African Culture & Traditions

Harvest & Heritage
Hands preparing fufu

How Fufu Explains Politics

Food & Power
Farming hands in Africa

Slow Food Disappearance

Farming & Tradition
Hands with plantains

The Universal Plantain

Cooking & Community

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African Gourmet FAQ

Archive Inquiries

Why "The African Gourmet" if you're an archive?

The name reflects our origin in 2006 as a culinary anthropology project. Over 18 years, we've evolved into a comprehensive digital archive preserving Africa's cultural narratives. "Gourmet" now signifies our curated approach to cultural preservation—each entry carefully selected and contextualized.

What distinguishes this archive from other cultural resources?

We maintain 18 years of continuous cultural documentation—a living timeline of African expression. Unlike static repositories, our archive connects historical traditions with contemporary developments, showing cultural evolution in real time.

How is content selected for the archive?

Our curation follows archival principles: significance, context, and enduring value. We preserve both foundational cultural elements and timely analyses, ensuring future generations understand Africa's complex cultural landscape.

What geographic scope does the archive cover?

The archive spans all 54 African nations, with particular attention to preserving underrepresented cultural narratives. Our mission is comprehensive cultural preservation across the entire continent.

Can researchers access the full archive?

Yes. As a digital archive, we're committed to accessibility. Our 18-year collection is fully searchable and organized for both public education and academic research.

How does this archive ensure cultural preservation?

Through consistent documentation since 2006, we've created an irreplaceable cultural record. Each entry is contextualized within broader African cultural frameworks, preserving not just content but meaning.