There are many countries and regions in Africa. Below, we take South Africa as an example to introduce South Africa’s main festivals and eating habits, as well as things to note when negotiating business with South African customers.
1. South Africa’s main festivals and eating habits
South Africa’s main festivals include New Year’s Day (January 1), Human Rights Day (March 21), Freedom Day (April 27), Independence Day (May 31), etc. In terms of eating habits, South Africans mainly eat Western food, often eat beef, chicken, eggs and bread, and love to drink coffee and black tea.
2. Things to note when negotiating business with South African customers
(1) For South African customers, the purchase price is the first priority. As long as the price is low and the product can be used, they do not pay attention to the appearance and quality of the product. South African customers like to bargain, and in order to get a low price, they will not hesitate to prolong the negotiation time.
(2) The general characteristics of South African trading companies are that they want a variety of products, small quantities, and urgent goods. If the price meets expectations, orders are placed quickly.
(3) In South Africa, English is the official language. However, when South African customers communicate online, their language expression is often simple and non-standard. Therefore, when communicating with South African customers, you must be patient and careful, and you should confirm repeatedly to avoid mistakes.
(4) South African customers mostly use T/T as their payment method and do not like to use L/C. However, for large orders, L/C is often a necessary choice.
(5) When cooperating with South African customers, you must pay attention to the contract. In the contract, you should try to clarify and detail the relevant responsibilities, and the delivery period and transit period should not be too long to avoid customer breach of contract.