Figuring out whether to bring your bankcard, credit card, cash or travelers checks when you travel to Africa can be confusing. If you're traveling to Ethiopia, traveler checks are handier than debit cards. If you're visiting South Africa you're wasting your time bringing traveler checks. But given the unpredictability of life in Africa, a mixed bag of cash, checks and credit is probably the safest way to go.
Traveler checks are of course safe to bring since they can be replaced when stolen. But the last time I changed a traveler check I was shocked to lose almost 40% of the value on various vaguely stated handling fees and a poor exchange rate.
ATM/Debit cards are my favorite way of getting local money, my bank seems to charge a minimal amount to withdraw from abroad and the exchange rate is much better than what I get at a Bureau de Change. However, I've been stuck when a machine has gobbled up my card and a couple of times the bank machine has been out of money. Hence the mix and match works well.
For information about ATM machine locations, how to carry your money, changing money on the black market, individual African currencies, and more, click on -- Money Tips for Travelers to Africa
Getting cash in Marrakech, Morocco -- © Anouk Zijlma