Cabo Verde

Greetings

Men greeting Men – A handshake is common for formal situations and initial introductions. Fist bumping is common for younger generations or more informal situations like meeting friends at a bar or restaurant.

Women greeting Women – Women usually share a kiss on each cheek. Sometimes it is just a single kiss on the cheek. In certain situation a handshake may be appropriate. It’s best to follow the lead of the person you are meeting.

Greetings between Men & Women – A handshake is common for formal situations and most initial introductions. Friends usually share a kiss on each cheek. Sometimes it is just a single kiss on the cheek.

Communication Style

• Cape Verdeans tend to be somewhat blunt regarding their opinions. For example, they will not hesitate to tell you that you look fat or that you do not speak Creole very well. However, this is not usually considered rude.
• On the other end of the spectrum, many people will say things that they have no intention of honoring, instead of causing discomfort or displeasure. For example, they will invariably declare that they will indeed be at a party or a dinner or any event in question, when they actually may have no intention of showing up. This seems to be considered a less rude approach than flatly stating that they will not come, definitely requiring some creative communication skills to interpret the true message behind the words.

Personal Space & Touch

• The concept of personal space is limited and less than an arm’s length tends to be the norm.
• Men will commonly hold hands with men to show friendship – likewise with women.
• There is a fair amount of touching during conversations. This tends to be the case more in informal situations vs. business/formal situations.

Gestures

• A major gesture is to wag one's finger in someone's face from left to right, right to left. This might seem incredibly rude, but it is not. It simply means "no", even for such basic questions as "Do you sell Coca-Cola?"
• Snapping one's fingers is not necessarily considered rude, but it does indicate sexual achievement - as in, to do it in reference to a question over whether one has had sex.
• Casually putting one's hands on one's head is considered to be a sign of mourning for many, as it is what the older women do to show their grief at funerals; wailing uncontrollably.

Views of Time

• Time tends to be viewed in a fluid sense. Meetings often start hours after their stated start time, parties began way after midnight, and the concept of being in a hurry is virtually non-existent
• Most people do not have anything in particular to do or anywhere to be in many rural areas where unemployment is rampant. As a result, the pace of life can be maddening to someone more accompanied to the go-go attitude of some of the more industry focused nations.

Gender Roles

• Women have come a long way, winning political office and forming influential groups to lobby for their rights. The culture, however, is still dominated by "machismo", with women seen as objects to be conquered. This is manifested in the prevalence of beauty pageants featuring high school girls parading around in bathing suits and the common practice of men having "peqenas". While a "namorada" is a girlfriend, a "peqena" is a girl on the side. Many men will openly boast of their multiple peqenas, a practice that is quite accepted as "just the way of things". This apathy about the consequences of multiple partners and casual sex is reflected in the high teen pregnancy rate, as well as the abundance of families without a father figure present.

Law & Order

• The legal drinking and purchasing age is 18 and does not tend to be highly enforced.
• The legal smoking and purchasing age is 16 and does not tend to be highly enforced.
• Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in are usually severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Titles & Business Cards

• Senor or Senora followed by the last name tends to be the most common titles used. Just about anyone who went to college or is an elected official may be given the title of Doctor as a show of respect.

• There is no specific protocol surrounding the giving and receiving of business cards, although it is always a good idea to treat the card with respect.

Meetings

• Meetings rarely start on time although as a foreigner it is good idea to show up on time; especially for initial meetings.
• Small talk will most always precede any actual business discussions and may take greater precedence over the actual business.

Negotiations

• Bargaining is not entirely common. Many people have an adverse reaction to conflict and may go along with what you want, even if they have no desire to honor what they have said.
• Make sure you are dealing with reputable organizations and individuals. Despite 's good governance marks compared to the rest of Africa, corruption remains an issue; less institutional than at the whim of individuals.

In the Classroom

• The school year at most institutions runs from October to June.
• Lecture tend to be the most common form of teaching, although there exist movements to reform to more interactive forms.