Dee Rissik - Culture Shock! South Africa: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

This 5th edition published in 2011 by:

Marshall Cavendish Corporation

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Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001

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Copyright 2008 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited

Copyright 2000 Times Media Private Limited

Copyright 1994 Times Editions Private Limited

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First published in 1994 by Times Editions Pte Ltd; 2nd edition published in 2000 by Times Media Pte Ltd; 3rd edition published in 2001. 4th edition by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited in 2008, reprinted 2009

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eISBN: 978 981 4398 66 4

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Photo Credits:

All black and white photos by the author. All colour photos from Photolibrary. Cover photo: Getty Images

All illustrations by TRIGG

Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from ones comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.

Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and cover a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.

Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the peoplewhere they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.

Then on to the practical aspectshow to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But thats not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.

To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.

For my partner, David, who shares my love of lands strange and wonderful, my love of Africa and of life. And who, although an Australian, understands the magnetism, the lifelong ties that draw me back to South Africa time and again.

Moving from the cosy confines of wherever you call home to the strange and wonderful (or initially sometimes far from wonderful) ways of a new land, a new people and a new culture, is certainly no easy task. In fact, it rates very high on the ladder of the most stressful thing we do in our lives.

But one of the best ways to minimise the hassles, inconveniences and insecurities we all feel when surrounded by things strange and new, is to be as well-informed as possible about each aspect of the life we are about to begin.

Being a born and bred South African who has had the privilege of living and working in a wide variety of foreign countries and cultures, I am only too aware of how the initial difficulties seem insurmountable: the smallest setback can seem like a major calamity in those early days. But once you are an old hand, you can rest assured you will look back at those tetchy moments in stunned amazement and with a large dose of merriment.

I hope reading this book will give you a little insight into who we South Africans really are, how we live and how we have changed. I hope it will be enough of a taste of the Rainbow Nation to make your stay, however long or short it may be, a positively memorable one.

Writing this book was no easy task, but for the first edition I had the assistance of my mother, Jan Rissik, whom I thank for all the hours of research she did for me, for reading some of my copy and bouncing ever more ideas off me. Now, more than a decade later, I hope this fully updated, new edition again captures the spirit of a very different country. My great appreciation and thanks is extended to everybody who has helped me put this book togetherwittingly, deliberately, or quite unintentionally by simply being South African.