Emigrants’ remittances have  increased rapidly over the  past  two  decades. While earlier studies have focused on their microeconomic effect on incomes and  poverty  in  recipient  countries,  the  present  study  concentrates on  the macroeconomic impact  of  remittances on  the  real  exchange rate  in  Cape Verde.  A  main conclusion is that remittances give rise to a sort of Dutch Disease effect and thereby have an adverse effect on the competitiveness of the tradable sector. The magnitude of this effect in Cape Verde is not that large, however. The changing orientation of official aid to more growth-oriented aid, combined with a more  export-oriented domestic policy, has contributed to limiting the adverse impact of emigrants’ remittances on the competitiveness of the Cape Verdean economy.