Abstract
Rainbow Nation- a term used to describe post-apartheid South Africa, when multicultural diversity emerged i.e, a country with a strong history and a rich diversified culture. Here you will find the important elements to be successful in doing business with South Africans. We will start with an historical overview that will allow us to understand today's South African society. It is important to be aware of the historical and cultural background of the country you want to work with.
Before the 17th century and the settlement of the Dutch at the Cape of Good Hope the Khoikhoi were living in this area and along the coast. The Boers (Dutch farmers) joined the colony and used them for slavery. They were joined by families of French Huguenots who settled in South Africa. In the early 18th century, Britain took control of the Cape Colony. In 1833, the English forbid and abolished slavery; the Boers lost therefore their labor. In 1834, the Boers migrated to Natal, north of the Vaal and Orange. England gave them their independence between 1852 and 1854. In 1877, British Prime Minister Disraeli caused an Anglo-Boer War. Despite a solution to this war, tension mounted between the two in 1896 to break out in 1899. The Treaty of Pretoria ended this war three years later. In 1910, the Union of South Africa was created.
In 1948, the United National Party founded by Daniel Malan, pastor of the reformed Dutch church, won the most seats in the Parliament of South Africa. As prime minister, he immediately set up the political system, the "apartheid", based on development through racial separation. The union of South Africa, which already had a long history in this area, entered a political system and mainly focused on racial segregation. Since 1960 the South Africa has been isolated from the Commonwealth.
Extract
[...] On May Jacob Zuma became the President of the Republic of South Africa. We will now have a look at major frameworks that have been used to categorized and compared cultures in order to highlight and understand the differences between South Africa and France. We will then explain and suggest how to do business with South Africans in details with clear description of what you can and can't do. Hofstede's Dimensions Geert Hofstede is a Dutch psychologist and anthropologist who defined that national and regional cultural group's influence on behavior. [...]
[...] We will start with an historical overview that will allow us to understand today's South African society. It is important to be aware of the historical and cultural background of the country you want to work with. Before the 17th century and the settlement of the Dutch at the Cape of Good Hope the Khoïkhoï were living in this area and along the coast. The Boers (Dutch farmers) joined the colony and used them for slavery. They were joined by families of French Huguenots who settled in South Africa. [...]
[...] Growth rate: 2.1 per cent (1975-2005) 0.5 per cent (2005-15) Official Languages: IsiZulu 23.9%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 9.2%, Setswana 9.2%, Sesotho7.9%, and others 11.5% Currency: Rand (ZAR) Resources: Gold, Platinum, diamonds, chromium, manganese, titanium, uranium, copper, silver, zirconium, coal Executive Capital: Pretoria Legislative Capital: Cape Town GDP - purchasing power parity: $239.5 billion (2005) GDP Per Capita - purchasing power parity: $11,110 (2006) Bibliography - (1999) « South Africa » , In Doing Business Internationally: the resource for Business and Social Etiquette, 5th Edition, Princeton Training Press, pp 479 - 483 - Thomas, D. Cross Cultural Management Essential Concepts, 2nd Edition, Sage - Butler A. (2009) Contemporary South Africa, 2nd Edition, Palgrave Macmillan - Schneider S.C. and Barsoux J.L. (2003) Managing Across Cultures, 2nd Edition, Prenctice Hall - Hofstede G. [...]
[...] France's score in uncertainty avoidance is above ninety, twenty points above the world average mark. It means that you will have great difficulty to agree about risk taking with your corporate. You will have strongly divergent point of view on a same matter. Take care not to be too prudent; don't favor bureaucracy like you would tend to. Try to not make all your exchanges too formal. Your way of doing things by trying the safest way may be a strong misunderstanding point. [...]
[...] In 1910 was created the Union of South Africa. In 1948, the United National Party founded by Daniel Malan, pastor of the Reformed Dutch Church, won the most seats in the Parliament of South Africa. As prime minister, he immediately set up its political system, the "apartheid", based on development through racial separation. The Union of South Africa, which already had a long history in this area, entered a political system mainly focused on racial segregation. Since 1960 is South Africa isolated from the Commonwealth and after declaring South Africa as a Republic, it left the Commonwealth. [...]
