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Culture of Africa
An Orientation for Zoo Personnel
Africa is a large, diverse continent. It is divided into three major subdivisions: northern nations,
middle nations, and South Africa. For protocol and etiquette, the northern nations follow Muslim or
Arabic customs; the middle nations follow customs oriented to black multicultures; and South Africa
follows tribal African influences as well as some British customs.
Because of the diversity among the countries in Africa, only a few basic guidelines for protocol
and etiquette are presented here. If you are going to spend some time in a particular country, please
use additional resources for more information.
Language
French is the official language for most of the 16 countries in West Africa and 8 countries in
Central Africa. Swahili is the official language along the East African coast. In Southern Africa, the main
languages are Afrikaans, English, Nguni, and Sotho. In North Africa, Arabic, and French are the official
languages.
Even though you would not be expected to know the languages throughout Africa, it is a good
idea to learn the local words for hell, good-bye, and thank you.
Dress
Most African countries are comfortable with a great deal of tolerance and openness toward
foreigners, and it is unlikely that you would ever be directly confronted for inappropriate dress.
Generally, it is best to dress modestly. While it would not be necessary to bring suits and other formal
business attire, clothing like ripped shorts and scruffy t-shirts are not appropriate, especially along the
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Muslim-dominated coast and in rural areas. The best options for men are long pants and shirts with
sleeves. For women its skirts that fall below the knee or loose-fitting long pants with modest blouses
that have some type of sleeve.
Punctuality
Appointments are recommended for business meetings. In most of the African counties, you are
expected to be on time. In Algeria, Ghana, Morocco, and Senegal punctuality may be somewhat relaxed.
However, you cannot go wrong by being on time.
Greetings
It is common to shake hands when you greet someone or are introduced to a person. In some
countries, the people also shake hands as they leave. If a person extends a hand to you as you are about
to leave, extend your hand to complete the handshake, Handshakes are also an important part of social
interactions, With people often continuing to hold hands for several minutes after meeting. In addition
to the handshake, good friends-both men and women-may also kiss each other on the cheek. In
addressing a person by name, use a professional title with the last name.
It is expected that you will take some time for pleasantries when you meet people. Africans
often spend several minutes at the beginning of a conversation simply greeting each other; it is impolite
to launch directly into questions or business interactions.
Gifts
It is a custom to exchange small inexpensive gift during a business visit. The manager of our Zoo
Gift Shop will be able to suggest appropriate gifts for you to take with you as you visit specific African
countries. You might want to keep the gifts and the wrapping paper separate until you arrive at your
destination. Be prepared with a gift and follow the lead of the person with whom you are dealing as to
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when you should present it. For example, in Kenya, gifts are normally exchanged during your second
visit.
Conversational Topics
In many African countries, friendship and trust come before any business relationships. Good
topics for friendly discussion are history, antiquity, culture, achievements, sports figures, wildlife,
national resources, arts and world affairs. Stay away from such topics as religion, politics and
government leaders, inefficiency in local industries, military occupation by another country, regional
disputes, and racial unrest.
Gestures
Because there are many different nationalities in Africa, it is hard to give dos and donts for
gestures and body language. Once you are in an African country, you need to observe carefully what
gesture and body language are appropriate. As a start, here are a few guidelines.
In a country where the Muslim religion is followed, sit properly without slouching or putting
your feet on the table. Dont not lean against a wall or put your hands in your pockets because both are
considered disrespectful. Do not show the sole of your show or point it at someone; the soles are the
lowest and dirtiest part of the body. And remember that the right hand is the prominent hand- use it to
present gifts, gesture, touch, and eat. The left hand is generally regarded as the unclean hand and is
used primarily for hygiene. If you are female, remember that in many countries women are considered
to be inferior to men; women may not be permitted to have direct eye contact with men or shake hands
with them.
Dining
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Quality of food varies greatly across Africa. In rural areas, you may eat local style (with your
hands). Before eating a bowl and a pitcher of water are often passed around for washing hands, f the
bowl is brought to you first as the guest and you are not sure what to do, indicate that it should be taken
to the head of the family first; then do what they do. The usual procedure is to hold your hands over the
bowl while your hostess our water over them.
African food typically consists of rice with some kind of sauce. You would roll a small ball of rice
from the communal pot with you right hand and dip the ball into the sauce. The underlying element in
all meals is solidarity between the host and guests. The various customs such as eating out of a
communal dish are simply expressions of this. A note of caution should be made, however. Try to avoid
bring the person who takes the last handful from the communal bowl as this may cause the host to think
there has not been enough food provided.
Other than fruits, desserts are generally not served. Following the meal, the water and wash basin are
brought around again so you can clean your hands. Saying chakula kizuri (delicious food) in Swahili-
speaking areas lets your host know that the food was appreciated
Money
Every African country has its own currency . Check with a local United States bank for the
appropriate currency in the countries where you will be traveling.
Tipping generally is not practice in small towns, but in major cities, tips are expected. If a service
charge has not been included in the cost, round up the bill to the next even amount and calculate
between 8% and 10% for the tip.
Holidays
There are 10 public holidays in Kenya when businesses are closed:
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January 1 New Years Day
March 29 Good Friday
April 1 Easter Monday
May 1 Labor Day
June 1 Madaraka Day
October 19 Moi Day
October 21 Kenyatta Day
December 12 Jamhuri Day
December 25 Christmas Day
December 26 Boxing Day