Need cash when I land, best place in Senegal? Airport or places in the city?
My advice is to use an ATM for cash. The airport exchange booths have terrible rates and will take a huge chunk out of your money. The ATMs at major banks like CBAO are safe and reliable. You'll get a better exchange rate that way. Plus, you can often withdraw a larger amount at once, so you don't have to worry about constantly getting cash. The CFA Franc (XOF) is what you'll need for most small purchases.
The best place to get cash is from a bank or a licensed money changer in the city. Avoid the airport at all costs. The exchange rates are awful. You can find many reputable money changers in busy areas in Dakar. The rates are much better there. I always use a bank ATM or a licensed exchange counter in the city, as I get a much better rate there than I would at the airport.
The airport exchange counters are a complete rip-off. My advice is to skip them entirely and just use an ATM in the city. You'll get a much better rate and avoid a lot of fees. I used my Visa card at an Ecobank ATM and it worked perfectly. You might want to grab a small amount of cash from the counter just to get a taxi to your hotel, but do a big withdrawal at a proper bank. The CFA Franc is what you'll need for most purchases.
Don't ever use the airport exchange counters. They give the worst rates and have the highest fees. Your best bet is to go to an ATM in Dakar. Look for ATMs from major banks like BICIS or Société Générale du Sénégal. They are generally reliable and will give you a rate much closer to the interbank rate. The CFA Franc (XOF) is what you'll need, and ATMs are the easiest way to get it. You might want to grab a little cash from the counter just for a taxi to your hotel, but do a big withdrawal at a proper bank.