Make sure your Jepps is up to date
Do not believe that the published beacon will work (lots of time out of service for years Note DRC)
In some countries the Jepp plate is realy only in the book because nobody told Jepp that the beacon was stolen 10 years ago
STICK to GRID MORAS and MSA
LOOK Carefully at your enroute charts specialy at the grid moras. There are some very big mountains in Central africa and they have a tendency to catch aircraft (PPRune currently runs a treat on one such aircraft).
Speaking French is a great plus point with ATC but remember other pilots can only understand the Queens languige
Brush up on Arc/DME approaches Lots of them.
Listen out on 126.9 and do the calls as per the enroute chart description.It may save your life
If you do not know the place and a letdown is available DO IT. Do not get trapped into visual approaches
Expect a lot of radio clutter (unnecasary ATC talk and rude pilots breaking int calls)
Slow down in good time and do not let them rush you into an approach
ALLWAYS be prepared to be shoved into an hold at the last minute
Allways remember some pilots do not give accurate position reports (They forget that most aircraft has TCAS these days)
TCAS TCAS TCAS TCAS but some aircraft do not have the transponders on so listen to the radio
HF does work (sometimes you need a lot of patients) refer 126.9 above
These are some thoughts that I hope you will read because it comes from many years fliing in a very hostile environment
Fly safely and by the way Africa is not that bad
