...An In-Depth Study of the South Africa as a Possible International Market Kimberly Buchanan Park University IB315 Spring 2013 Introduction South Africa is a country of contrasts: urban versus rural, white versus black, traditional versus modern. This country report will slowly peel back the layers of the country known as South Africa. It will begin by introducing the reader to an overview of the country that will include the demographics, major products, and factors that allow the country to be unique among other countries. It will, then, introduce the reader to the aspects of the culture of South Africa. Third, the report will provide information about the political and legal environment in South Africa. Finally, it will shed light on the economic environment of South Africa. Brief Overview of South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country unlike any other. The changes this country has with stood, the demographics of its people, and the industries that are continuing to grow make for a wide array of factors that benefit the country of South Africa. Few countries are as influenced by as many cultures as the country of South Africa. The country was first influenced by the Dutch (Boers) traders who used a small section of the land as a form of refueling center during the trip to the Spice Islands in 1652 (Central, 2013). This “stopover point” was the establishment of the city that is now known as Cape Town (Central, 2013)...
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...South Africa Have you ever wonder if there is another person just like you in another country. Are that someone may be doing the same exact thing that you are doing at that moment or even like the same things you like. We would never know the answer to that question, unless we get out and explore the world of choices. I want you to lay back and close your eyes and dream of a place you would love to explore. As you do that I want you to keep in mind the following the different cultures you may come in contract with. See if discrimination still exists in that country you are visiting and what are the problems. What ethnic groups are in this country? South Africa is a country that is located at the top of Africa as you look at it; it put you in the mind of a guenia pig. It has diverse cultures and languages. Majority of the ethnic groups are black African. South Africa has many problems with discrimination that is widely spread around the world. I am here today to give you a bit of information of the things I have stated in this paragraph. As a child I always wonder about other cultures in countries, the different racial groups, and if discrimination was still going on in the world all over. Now I am able to explore the different things that may occur in other countries. Cultures Food: One of the cultures that caught my eye was the food that they eat. South African cuisine reflects the indigenous population and the country's many settlers. One of the most popular influences...
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...world. They are Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, US, Uk, Australia and 12 other countries besides South Africa. Chatime has so many flavors for the tea drinks provided to the consumers with unique taste, fresh brewed tea and fresh ingredients. As Chatime decided to introduce its products to the worldwide by becoming a “Global brand with local flavor”, Chatime needs to makes the products with local tastes and meet the cultures in every country. In home country market, Taiwan, The demand for Chatime can be considered high. It is supported by the level of income of Taiwanese people is quite high and the good taste of Chatime products as well. The booming of milktea drinks factor also become the factors why Chatime drinks demand is very high. Since Chatime still does not have the outlets in South Africa, Chatime needs to considerate to open the market in South Africa to expand the business. As now South Africa is a very fast developing. Besides that, there is a local brand tea in South Africa named rooibos which is very popular for South African people. The report from Euromonitor International (2013) indicates that the tea which has benefit for health and such as rooibos will experience a strong consumer demand. Hence, as Chatime has similar taste with rooibos and also could make products with local taste, it would be a good opportunity for Chatime to expand their business to South Africa. Lastly, this report’s purpose is to make a report about the economic and financial,...
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...Assignment 1-Cultural Scanning South Africa is a country that is rich in cultures, values and customs that have been a part of our lively hood for hundreds of years. In your search for foreign expansion we know that you want to get to know more about our county before your company decides to settle on where to expand. In that understanding we will provide with an overview of our country and hope that we can be a great match for you and your company. Let’s start off with some fun facts about South Africa; South Africa believe it or not has 11 different official languages. English can be spoken though out South Africa and is used for administration purposes; some other languages include Afrikaans, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho, Swazi, Tsongo, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu. Since English is part of the 11 languages we will be able to communicate with you very easily. South Africa as the name implies is at the southernmost part of Africa with a population of over 42,000,000 people. Not only do we have different languages but different ethnic groups and religions. Ethnic groups include black, white, mix and Indian, religions consist of Christianity, Muslims and Hinduism. Religion is an important part of millions of people who live in this country since there is a variety of a religion South Africa is known as the rainbow nation and this is due to a variety of people, cultures and religions. There is no one specific religion that you are required to follow...
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...Macionis and Plummer (2012, p. 144) defines Culture as a “the values, beliefs, behavior, practices and material objects that constitute a peoples’ way of life”, and Sociology as “the systematic study of human society” (Macionis and Plummer 2012, p.964). In light of this, Cultural sociology demands that culture and social structural forces, especially economic forces to be dissociated in order to allow a form of cultural self-governance, rather than these cultural structures to be seen as external to individuals. The following essay will discuss the frame work of cultural sociology developed by Jeffery Alexander. In order to discuss how important cultural sociology for the development of South Africa is, I will assess to what extent contemporary South Africa embodies the characteristics of a cultural society in comparison to surviving practices and traditional beliefs. Theoretical framework of cultural sociology is best described as the importance of culture being seen an independent variable. Alexander (2003), emphasizes the importance of culture shaping society instead of culture being a product of society. He puts culture first and highlights that, “To believe in the possibility of a cultural sociology is to subscribe to the idea that every action, no matter how instrumental, reflexive or coerced vis-a-vis its external environments” (Alexander 2003:12). Comparatively, “Sociology of culture” implies that institutions, irrespective of how impersonal and technocratic have an...
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...South Africa is one of the most geographically varied countries of the African continent, comprising territory that ranges from the rolling, fertile plains of the highveld and the wide open savanna of the Eastern Transvaal to the Kalahari desert and the peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains. While all of its diverse regions offer ample opportunities for adventure travel, the focus in South Africa--as in much of sub-Saharan Africa--is the safari. In addition to possessing two of the world's most renowned wildlife reserves, the Kruger and the Kalahari Gemsbok National Parks, the country contains over a dozen smaller regional parks and reserves. In addition, with its excellent road and rail systems, its abundance of top-rated accommodations, and its bountiful farmlands and vineyards, South Africa allows visitors ample opportunity for more luxurious comfort along with adventuresome excitement. Location, Geography, & Climate South Africa is located, as one might expect, on the southern tip of Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the west, the Indian Ocean on the south and east. Along its northern border, from west to east, lie Namibia, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, and to the northeast are Mozambique and Swaziland. Wholly-enclosed by South Africa, and situated in its eastern central plain, is the independent kingdom of Lesotho. Almost all of South Africa's 472,000 square miles (1.2 million sq. km.) lie below the Tropic of Capricorn, and the country is geographically composed...
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...Axia College Material Appendix C Cross-Cultural Communication Matrix Use the matrix to complete the country information. Write 3-4 sentences for each item. • Access the Business Around the World information by accessing http://www.mhhe.com/business/buscom/bcommonline/ • Select three regions of the world to research by clicking the map on the lower-left corner of the page. Select one country from each region you chose to research. Enter your final country selections into the matrix. The Web site provides you with a strong starting point. You may also want to perform a general Internet search to find additional information. • Include APA-formatted references on a separate page. The assignment is due in Week Three. |Cross-Cultural Communication | |Country |Preferred Communication Style |Nonverbal Communication Practices |Business Communication Norms |Strategies to Increase Cross-Cultural | | | | | |Communication | |Brazil |The official language of Brazil is |Brazilians will make assumptions about a |Brazilians do business with...
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...Arabia South Africa China Saudi Arabia Arab’s communication style is more elaborate, as they make use of various phrases while communicating. Therefore, Arabs are said to be expressive. They are said to be extravagant in exaggerating. Arabs also rely on non direct communication. Silence is used as a non verbal communication practice and it shows thoughful observation. Gestures and facial expressions are important non verbal communication practices as well. Eye contact is also important to the Arab businessmen. If a person maintains eye contact, this shows his sincerity and truthfulness. Business should be in coherence to the culture of the country. It is important to make prior appointments for making business dealings. Thursday and Fridays are off in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, buiness communications should not be done on these days. Face to face interaction is highly favored. (Gorrill, 2007). It is important to understand the particular culture of a country. So, reading about the specific culture and getting information through books or internet will help in increasing the cross cultural communication. Introduction of training videos in a organization about the the different culture will enhance the cross culture communication. Studying and learning new languages is also an important strategy to increase cultural ccommunication. South Africa The conmmunication style of South Africa is friendly. Smile is important part of communication in South Africa. Non verbal...
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...the berlin conference Also known as the congo conference A group of people heading other continents came together and divided Africa for them selves to colonize. Africa was originally dived into seven parts. It was at the berlin conference that it was split up into The four different sectors we have today so it could be colonized. NORTH AFRICA The region comprises of seven countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara. Most north african countries were colonized by Arabic countries and because of this have a lot of arabic influences from their language which are various dialects of Berber and Arabic , their religious preference which is islam , and their clothing Over the years, Berber peoples have been influenced by other cultures with which they came in contact: Nubians, Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, and the Vandals. They are known for their wildlife and savanah culture. West Africa West Africa has been defined in Africa as including the seventeen countries Benin, Burkina Faso, island of Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, island of Saint Helena, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe and Togo. The british west african countries are The Gambia, Sierra Leone,Western Nigeria Ghana, and Nigeria. The french west african countries Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast),Burkina Faso Benin...
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...Experiential Analysis A Reflective Structured Essay Introduction A successful organisation is built on the communication that develops between its constituents (Dietz & Den Hartog 2006). Encouraging efficient communication within any organisation can prove a difficult task, especially when faced with the complexity of a diverse workforce. The organisation being considered is a small accounting company (‘The Company’) located in Zimbabwe, South Africa. Due to its ‘multiplicity of traditions and skin tones’ (Brand South Africa 2011), South Africa has been portrayed as a ‘Rainbow Nation’ since the end of the Apartheid era. When diversity is not managed and monitored carefully, differences can lead to highly counter-productive communication dilemmas. Two fundamental aspects of diversity will be discussed: Firstly, cultural differences are common throughout The Company and have proven to be an issue of emotional and economic importance. Five of Hofstede’s (1994) dimensions of culture can be used to explain the reluctance of employees from different countries to effortlessly integrate their personalities and ideas within The Company. Power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity and long-term orientation will be analysed in terms of their affect on interpersonal communication between culturally diverse employees. Secondly, another feature of diversification within The Company is the range of conflicting generational profiles....
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...LỤC Part 1 2 1.1 Introduction 2 1.1.1 The reasons why we choose South Africa 2 1.2 History and Demographics of the people 3 1.2.1 History 3 1.2.2 Demographic of the people 6 Part 2 8 2.1 Forces that exist in the business and cultural environment of the country 8 2.2 What we would like if we were resident of South Africa 9 2.3 What we wouldn’t like if were resident of South Africa 11 2.4 Primary exports and import, trading partner. Graph the historical rate of the exchange between your South Africa 's currency and that of the United States dollar 12 2.4.1 Primary exports 12 2.4.2 Primary imports 13 2.4.3 Primary trading partners 13 2.4.4 Exchange rates 13 Part 3 14 3.1 Resources, Initiatives of business organizations and South Africa’s government policies 14 3.1.1 Resources and Initiatives of business organizations already exist in South Africa 14 3.1.2 South Africa’s government policies aid such initiatives (Include Financial, Marketing, & Human Resource issues) 16 3.2 Advices for businessmen 17 3.2.1 Business culture 17 3.2.2 Business notices 19 References 21 SOUTH AFRICA ESSAY Part 1 1.1 Introduction 1.2.1 The reasons why we choose South Africa * South Africa is a country of BRICS In 2010, South Africa began efforts to join the BRIC grouping, and the process for its formal admission began in August of that year. South Africa officially became a member nation on 24 December 2010, after being...
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...by Jeff Cangialosi (2012) Following the rest of the crowd, I stood quickly as the South African national anthem began to play. I was about to watch my first rugby game at the University of the Western Cape and sitting beside me was my newest South African friend Francis. As I strained to hear the national anthem, I realized that the majority of the song was not in English but a mixture of other languages that I could not decipher. Sitting back down, I turned to Francis and asked him what languages I had just heard in the national anthem. He responded, “There are five different languages in the song brother…Xhosa, Zulu, Sesotho, Afrikaans, and English…it’s supposed to create unity, but brother, the people here, they are not unified. No one knows the words.” Language is one of the most obvious indicators of the vast diversity of South Africa. The national anthem may be composed of five different languages, but in total, the country has eleven official languages. In Cape Town, Afrikaans, English, and Xhosa are the most widely spoken languages, but as you travel across the country, you encounter many different indigenous languages. In addition to language, another marker of South Africa’s diversity is color. Infamous for its past of apartheid, South Africa is the land of people who are black, white, coloured, and Asian. Making up almost 80% of the population demographic, black South Africans are the largest racial group, but in my view, this black population is heterogeneous...
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...The country of South Africa, of the Republic of South Africa officially, is appropriately the southern most country on the African continent. South Africa prominently shares borders with Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland. The country also is unique in the fact that is completely surrounds the landlocked Lesotho kingdom. South Africa also has the advantage of having almost thirteen hundred miles of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans. While just over half the size of Africa’s largest country, Algeria, South Africa is the 25th largest country in the world by land area, which equates to just under what would be two of Texas. The country also has a large population of approximately 55 million, which ranks them at...
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...Discrimination When reflecting on my six-month expedition to South Africa, I recognized various aspects of prejudice and discrimination. Although racial categories in South Africa have been abolished, many native countrymen still view themselves and others according to these categories. Race is the classification system to categorize people based on physical characteristics, but has not scientific significance. “Blacks are the largest racial group in South Africa (approximately 79% [of the total population]) (Shutts, Kinzler, Katz, Tredoux, & Spelke, 2011)” consisting of several ethnic groups, such as Khoi-San, Xhosa, Zulu, Ndebele, Sotho, Venda, and Shangaan. Ethnicity is cultural traits shared by a category of people; religion, language, and national origin are types of ethnic classifications. However, the minority of white South Africans have more freedom and opportunities because of the unspoken racial separation within the government and workforce. Khoi-San is the unified name of two ethnic groups, who share physical characteristics and languages of the Bantu region. They are known to have small, short frames, copper-brown skin, high cheekbones, and slanted eyes differentiating them from their dark African counterparts. They are native to the semi-desert regions in South Africa. The Venda live in remote, mountainous region near the southern tip. They are a mix of many cultures, like Central African, Eastern African, Sotho, and Nguni. They speak...
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...classifications designated who could or who could not obtain membership to the elite group, and who could become a citizen rather than a subject. In the 17th century the Dutch and the British colonized the previously unexplored South Africa in a drive for modernity. The rapid English domination of the Dutch offspring (known as Boers or Afrikaners) resulted...
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