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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Togon food is particularly good. Most restaurants catering for visitors tend to be French orientated, although some do serve African dishes. In Lomé in particular, there are many small cafes serving local food. Dishes include meals in sauce, soups based on palm nut, groundnut and maize. Meat, poultry and seafoods are plentiful and well prepared, as are the local fruit and vegetables. A popular dish is riz sauce arachide – rice with peanut sauce.
A good selection of alcoholic drinks is available – some produced locally such as palm wine and tchakpallo (fermented millet).
Nightlife: There are numerous nightclubs, particularly in Lomé. Most serve food and are open until the early hours for dancing to a mixture of West African and Western popular music. There are also cinemas showing French and English-language films.
Shopping: Market purchases include wax prints, indigo cloth, Kente and dye-stamped Adinkira cloth from Ghana, embroideries, batik and lace from The Netherlands, locally-made heavy marble ashtrays, gold and silver jewellery, traditional masks, wood sculpture and religious statuettes. Voodoo stalls display an extraordinary range of items used in magic, among them, cowrie shells. Shopping hours: Mon-Fri 0800-1730, Sat 0730-1230.
Special Events: The following is a selection of festivals and special events celebrated annually in Togo:
Mid-Jul Evala (initiation ceremonies, a custom which involves traditional wrestling), Kabiyé region; Akpema (girls’ initiation ceremonies), Kabiyé region. Aug Kpessosso (a harvest festival of the Guens); Ayize (Bean Harvest Festival celebrated by the Ewe). Sep (first Thursday) Agbogbozan (Ewe Diaspora Festival); (first week) Dipontre (Yam Festival), Bassar region. Dec Kamou (Harvest Festival), Kabiyé region.
Social Conventions: Music and dance are the most popular forms of culture. The Togolese have had a varied colonial heritage which has resulted in the variety of Christian denominations and European languages; the voodoo religion is a strong influence in the country and many young girls, after fulfilling an initiation period, will devote their lives to serving the religion and the voodoo village priest. Practical, casual clothes are suitable. Beachwear should not be worn away from the beach or poolside. Tipping: When not included, a tip of about ten per cent is customary. Taxi drivers do not usually expect a tip.
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