Real people talk pay: Europe, Middle East and Africa

ADP ReThink Q talks to people in Europe, the Middle East and Africa about how they earn, save and spend their money.

How six people in Suez earn their Egyptian pounds

This important port city in Egypt, connecting Europe and Asia, is home to about 774,000 people.

Border lines: Congo – DRC

Julien Defosse commutes between his home in Brazzaville and his job in Kinshasa via the Congo River, the waterway that divides the world’s two closest capitals.

“It’s not uncommon to hear it said that Kinshasa and Brazzaville are the same people, only the river separates them,”

Border lines: France – Switzerland

Emilie Deseneux commutes between her home in Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny and her job in Geneva via car, bus and tram, alongside more than 220,000 daily “saute-frontières” (border jumpers).

How six people in Accra earn their cedis

From slums overlooked by high-rises to tourism campaigns amid an economic crisis, Accra is a place of opportunity and struggle.

Hamburg’s swanfather: Keeping birds out of trouble since 1674

Olaf Nieß holds one of the oldest civil servant jobs in Germany. His most important task? Taking care of Hamburg’s swans.

From Ukraine, with love 

In an uncertain time, Poland — and its labor market — is welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms.

How a German city and its football fans weathered the pandemic

Gelsenkirchen is best known for FC Schalke 04 and for having the highest unemployment rate in Germany. Its strong sense of community has gotten residents and businesses through the pandemic.

“This is a challenge for us as a business, but also for society as a whole. But there is no doubt that we are all trying.”

How 6 people in Cape Town earn their rands

Known as the Mother City, Cape Town has the highest employment rate in South Africa. We spoke to six Cape Townians about their relationships with money.

A Sorbian teacher keeps the language alive

Speakers of Germany’s minority Slavic language are in high demand as the country attempts to preserve its heritage.

How six people in Malta earn their euros

A tax haven rich in history and soaked in sun: The tiny island nation between the coasts of Northern Africa and Italy has many stories to tell.

How 6 people in Dubai earn their dirhams

Of the 3.5 million people living in the United Arab Emirates’ “City of Gold,” more than 70% are immigrants.

A Welsh island warden oversees the cycle of life

The island of Flat Holm in the Bristol Channel has a population of one — Simon Parker, who took up the wardenship in March 2023.

Luxembourg’s luxuries fund lifelines to India

With its high salaries, Luxembourg draws many workers from around the world. A growing number of Indian citizens work there to support their families back home.

“The Gambians in diaspora are really trying to create meaningful social and economic changes for their people via remittances”

The back way from the Gambia to Germany

With agriculture on the decline and tourism hit hard by the pandemic, remittances sent from the Gambian diaspora are more important than ever. One man risked his life to make it to Germany via the Mediterranean.