South Africa

Greetings

For men greeting men – A handshake is the most common form of greeting. Hugs and kisses are common when greeting family and close friends

For women greeting women - A handshake is the most common form of greeting. Hugs and kisses are common when greeting family and close friends

For meetings between men and women – While a handshake is the most common form of greeting, some women may just give a nod of acknowledgment. It is best to wait for the woman to initiate the handshake. Hugs and kisses are common when greeting family and close friends.

Note: There are many different races in and these races behave quite differently in how they greet each other. However the standard form of greeting is a handshake. The majority of the people are black South African, but there are also the colored South Africans who are of different shades of color because they are of mixed race, and then there are Indian South Africans and a few Chinese and other minority groups including white South Africans. English is spoken almost everywhere in South Africa.

Communication Style

• South Africa is made of several different ethnic groups and the communication styles tends to differ among each.
• Depending on the cultural background of the South African, the type of communication behavior can either be direct or an indirect path when communicating and sometimes a blend of the two. For example, if a family member has a problem it is sometimes expected that the problem is addressed to an older aunt or uncle as opposed to directly speaking to the parents.
• People in the city tend to be more direct that those who live in more rural areas.
• Most people do not want to argue or disagree with strangers, so they will either ignore your question or give you a non-committed answer.

Personal Space & Touch

• People usually stand and speak close to one another. Most people value collective based orientations and so they tend to stand a little closer than an arm's length which is appropriate in many Western cultures.
• Families do a lot of activities together and interact closely; however there is somewhat of a little distance that is placed between opposite sexes and this is out of respect. For example a father and daughter might not hold hands and hug and kiss as much as a mother and daughter.
• Business colleagues do practice giving each other the appropriate arms length space to avoids being uncomfortable and fit in with the rest of the business practices abroad.
• There tends to be a decent amount of touching of arms, shoulders and hands when interacting with a South Africans. Especially when an exciting story is being told, there is more expression and imitation of sounds and facial movements.
• People often will hold hands (including men with men) and will touch you on your arms or chest. Family members very often communicate with the same personal space as complete strangers.

Eye Contact

• Direct eye contact is the norm, but not to the point of staring.
• After initial eye contact is established, intermittent contact is best during conversations as overly direct eye contact may be misinterpreted as a challenge.
• South Africans do not tend to establish direct give eye contact when talking with elders because it can be considered rude and/or a challenge.

Gestures

• Beckon by extending the arm and waving towards yourself. Tell people to go away by waving away from your self.
• Thumbs up is very common for saying well done or saying everything is okay, it’s a positive gesture.
• Placing both hands together with fingers pointing up to say thank you.
• It is polite to say “bless you” when someone sneezes.

Views of Time

• Punctuality is taken more seriously in business and is more flexible in social situations.
• People in Johannesburg covet their time more than people in other cities. Coastal cities are generally more laid back.
• Buses and trains tend to run on time, but meetings will could start up to 2 hours later than scheduled in certain areas.
• Taking your time is an important part of the culture. What takes an hour in the a more time oriented country, may takes an entire day in SA. What takes a day in South Africa, may take a week, etc.

Gender Roles

• South Africa is still a male dominated society but this is changing.
• Women are generally accepted in business and it is very common for women to work but many are still expected to run the house and look after the children.
• It is common, especially in the small townships to hear men, mostly construction workers being forward by whistling at women passing by.
• In tribal and rural areas, foreign women are treated with greater respect than native women, but can still be expected to know very little about typical “male” pursuits, such as sports, math or science.
• In many rural villages, women who drink alcohol are frowned upon. They consider that type of woman to be lacking in virtues.

Taboos

• Placing your thumb between your forefinger and second finger and pointing it at someone is an obscene gesture.

Law & Order

• AIDS is very prevalent in South Africa and the crime rate is very high.
• The legal drinking age is 18 and is somewhat enforced.
• The legal smoking age is 18 and not that heavily enforced.
• Try not to carry to many valuables with you or leave things lying around. There is a lot of theft at airports so keep valuables in your carry on luggage. All airports now offer a service whereby you can have your bags rapped in plastic to prevent theft.
• Drinking alcohol on the streets or on beaches is illegal.

Dress

• For Men- Suits or pants, tie and jacket are acceptable in most situations. Conservative yet stylish is the way to go.
• For Women- Business suits or skirts/dress with an appropriate top. Avoid clothes that are too revealing or tight fitting. Pants are acceptable. High heels are common.
• Make sure to shine your shoes and iron your clothes. Presentation is often times much more important than substance. And shoes are closely watched.
• Dress tends to be considerably less formal for foreigners when in rural areas. Traditional tribal outfits are common for the locals.

Titles & Business Cards

• It is best to address people using their professional title or Mr./Mrs. and last name.
• Avoid using using first names until being invited to do so.
• There is no set protocol with the giving and receiving of business cards, but it is always advisable to treat the card with respect.

Meetings

• It is best to show up on time for meetings as punctuality is valued in business settings.
• It is polite to greet everybody in the room, starting with the most senior.
• The most senior person (by title) or the named officiator will usually begin and end the meeting.
• Business meetings are scheduled as far in advance as possible.

Negotiations

• It is important to remain calm during the negotiating process.
• Avoid interrupting your South African counterpart as it can be seen as rude and being over eager.
• Decisions tend to be made from the top down and can take awhile to be reached.

Gift Giving

• Gifts are not generally exchanged at initial business meetings.
• If invited over for dinner or a drink to a South African home, you should always bring the host/hostess a gift. Flowers, a bottle of high quality wine, or good chocolates are acceptable gifts.
• Gifts tend to be opened when received.

In the Classroom

• The school year in most schools runs from February to November. Some run from January to December.
• At the university levels, grades follow the A-F scale or 0-100 with 40 being a failing grade.
• Most university students wear jeans and t-shirts. Some women prefer wearing skirts and blouses and dresses while some men prefer shorts and a t-shirts. Unacceptable clothing is dressing too skimpy.
• Most universities combine lecture classes as well as group work and discussions.

Other Observations

• South Africa does have diverse cultures as a part of their population and it is important to understand the manners associated with each culture because they are quite different even though they are all collectively called South African.
• The majority of the people are of course black South African, but there are also the colored South Africans who come in different shades of color because they are of mixed race, and then there are Indian South Africans and a few Chinese and other minority groups including white South Africans.
• English is spoken almost everywhere.
• In South Africa they drive on the left hand side of the road.

• South Africa does have diverse cultures as a part of their population and it is important to understand the manners associated with each culture because they are quite different even though they are all collectively called South African. The majority of the people are of course black South African, but there are also the colored South Africans who come in different shades of color because they are of mixed race, and then there are Indian South Africans and a few Chinese and other minority groups including white South Africans.