From fruit to butter, the women’s cooperative in Korhogo produces shea butter naturally, following traditional
methods.
Abidjan announces itself as a city shaped by water, movement and confidence.
Often referred to as the Pearl of the Lagoons, it sits at the intersection of tradition and modern West African urban life. French is the dominant language, a legacy that still surfaces in daily rhythms, from café culture to administrative formality, but the city’s character is distinctly its own.
From Abidjan, travel north reveals a different Côte d’Ivoire altogether. The road to Korhogo cuts through shifting landscapes, where dense greenery gradually gives way to earthier tones. This northern region is known less for spectacle than for continuity, where cultural practices remain embedded in everyday life. The Boloye, or panther dance, is one such expression. Performed by masked dancers whose movements are precise and controlled, it draws on ancestral symbolism rather than theatrical display. Drumming provides both structure and narrative, carrying stories preserved through repetition and ritual.
Korhogo is also closely associated with craft traditions that remain economically and culturally relevant. Shea butter production, largely led by women’s cooperatives, continues to rely on methods refined over generations. Textile weaving and clay jewellery making reflect similar patterns of inherited skill. The region’s most recognisable artistic export, the Korhogo canvas, uses natural pigments drawn from earth, plants and minerals. These works function less as decoration and more as visual language, recording belief systems, history and social order.
Further south, Yamoussoukro serves as the country’s political capital and offers a striking contrast in scale and intent. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace dominates the city, its vast structure modelled on St Peter’s in Rome. Its presence is both symbolic and controversial, yet it remains one of the country’s most recognisable landmarks. Nearby, a lake inhabited by crocodiles underscores the juxtaposition that often defines Côte d’Ivoire, where grandeur and the everyday exist in close proximity.
Along the coast, Grand Bassam carries the weight of history more quietly. Once the colonial capital, the town is marked by ageing buildings, long streets and a slower pace that encourages observation. Its Atlantic-facing beaches stretch uninterrupted, while daily life unfolds with little urgency. Small interactions often leave the strongest impressions, such as the casual offering of a freshly cut coconut, prepared and shared without ceremony.
Ambassador Sakaria Kone and Marion Smith.
Grand Bassam is also home to institutions like the Centre Céramique, where pottery continues to be shaped by hand. Watching clay form on the wheel highlights a recurring theme across the country: skill passed down through practice rather than instruction and value placed on patience as much as outcome.
Back in Abidjan, contemporary expressions of Ivorian identity come into focus. Cocoa, the country’s most influential export, is increasingly being reinterpreted locally.
Suzanne Kabani, often referred to as the chocolate lady, has built a reputation for producing handcrafted chocolates that foreground origin and quality. Her work reflects a broader shift toward value addition and local ownership within traditional industries.
The city’s food scene follows a similar trajectory. Restaurants like Saakan offer considered interpretations of local cuisine, where technique and restraint take precedence over novelty. Dishes such as slow-cooked oxtail are prepared with confidence, allowing familiar flavours to speak for themselves.
Across the country, the elephant appears repeatedly in public art, design and national symbolism. As the national emblem, it represents strength, memory, and continuity. The name Côte d’Ivoire itself references the ivory trade that once defined its global identity, a reminder of how history continues to shape the present.
Today, Côte d’Ivoire stands as a country negotiating growth, memory and ambition. Since independence, it has developed into a cosmopolitan state driven by urban expansion, economic focus and cultural pride. It is not a place that reveals itself through spectacle but through attention. Those willing to look closely will find a nation comfortable with complexity and confident in its direction.
South African passport holders need to obtain a visa from the Embassy in Pretoria. French is the main language spoken. A yellow fever card is required. South African Airways flies directly from Johannesburg to Abidjan.