South Africa

“And so it has come to pass that South Africa today undergoes her rebirth, cleansed of a horrible past, matured from a tentative beginning, and reaching out to the future with confidence. Our pledge is : never and never again shall the laws of our land rend our people apart or legalize their oppression and repression”.

Nelson Mandela

Cross Cultural Quiz - (click for answers)

1.How many official languages are there in South Africa?

• 8

• 3
  

• 11
  

2.“Affirmative action” in South refers to policies that take race, gender, or ethnicity into account in an attempt to promote equal opportunity

• T

• F
  

3.What kind of analogies are often used to demonstrate a point in the business context in South Africa?

• Sport

• Wildlife
  

• Food
  

• Political
  

4.The decision making is often concentrated at the top and can be slow and protracted

• T

• F
  

5.South African business people like the “hard sell” approach to negotiating and marketing

• T

• F

10 essential tips for working effectively with South Africans

• DO have good knowledge of the history, and current political and social background in South Africa – do your homework before you go

• DO understand that South Africa is a land of contradictions – industrialized and agrarian, affluent and impoverished – don’t judge

• DO be seen to be in command of the facts and the subject matter but ask for input and opinions from the team. Be authoritative but not authoritarian as a manager

• DO understand that there will be tremendous differences in corporate structure, management style, levels of sophistication etc. – this will depend on the type of company you are dealing with

• DO respect ‘affirmative action’ - this is one of the flash points of modern South African business and must be approached with great caution and sensitivity

• DO appreciate that if you are dealing with a recently privatized company, you can expect high levels of bureaucracy and a slow rate of progress

• DO understand that South Africans prize the importance of good, long term relationships. Stress your commitment to a long term involvement in the country.

• DO distinguish between two different types of communication- white South Africans usually prefer direct communication to an overly diplomatic approach However, many of the black cultures stress diplomacy – this means that they don’t want to say negative things and admit that they don’t understand or know something

• DO accept that humor is very commonly used by most elements of society and can be encountered in serious situations – to relieve stress

• DO dress formally at the beginning of the relationship – look around and see how others are dressed and adapt accordingly

Quiz answers:

1.c
2.a
3.a
4.a
5.b