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Cross-Cultural Business Communication for African Markets

South African businesses increasingly trade, negotiate and correspond across Southern African Development Community countries and beyond, where language, custom and business etiquette differ. This course builds awareness of cross cultural communication risks and teaches delegates to adapt written and spoken business communication for diverse African markets without causing offence or confusion.

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What you will be able to do

  • Identify common cross cultural misunderstandings that arise in African business communication.
  • Adapt greetings, forms of address and levels of formality to different national contexts.
  • Recognise how directness, hierarchy and silence are interpreted differently across African cultures.
  • Adjust written correspondence and proposals for partners in other African countries.
  • Prepare for cross border meetings and negotiations with appropriate cultural sensitivity.
  • Avoid language and imagery that could be misread as disrespectful or exclusionary.

Course outline

  1. 01Understanding Cross Cultural Risk
  2. 02Greetings, Titles and Formality
  3. 03Hierarchy, Directness and Silence
  4. 04Adapting Written Correspondence Abroad
  5. 05Preparing for Cross Border Meetings
  6. 06Negotiation Style Across Cultures
  7. 07Language and Imagery Pitfalls
  8. 08Building Long Term Trust

Who should attend

This course is designed for sales, business development, procurement and account management staff who communicate with clients, partners or suppliers across African markets.

Dates, venues and fees

DatesVenueDaysFeeCalendarRegister
28 to 30 Sep 2026Windhoek3US$1,500Closed
29 Sep to 1 Oct 2026Gaborone3US$1,500Register
30 Sep to 2 Oct 2026Maseru3US$1,500Register
5 to 7 Oct 2026Mbabane3US$1,500Register
6 to 8 Oct 2026Lusaka3US$1,500Register
7 to 9 Oct 2026Harare3US$1,500Register
12 to 14 Oct 2026Lilongwe3US$1,500Register
13 to 15 Oct 2026Blantyre3US$1,500Register
14 to 16 Oct 2026Mozambique3US$1,500Register
19 to 21 Oct 2026Nairobi3US$1,500Register
20 to 22 Oct 2026Dar es Salaam3US$1,500Register
21 to 23 Oct 2026Kigali3US$1,500Register
26 to 28 Oct 2026Kampala3US$1,500Register
27 to 29 Oct 2026Accra3US$1,500Register
28 to 30 Oct 2026Lagos3US$1,500Register
2 to 4 Nov 2026Cairo3US$1,500Register
3 to 5 Nov 2026Mauritius3US$1,500Register
4 to 6 Nov 2026Dubai3US$1,500Register
9 to 11 Nov 2026Online3US$900Register
2 to 4 Dec 2026Johannesburg3R13,000Register
7 to 9 Dec 2026Cape Town3R13,000Register
8 to 10 Dec 2026Durban3R13,000Register
9 to 11 Dec 2026Pretoria3R13,000Register

Fees are per delegate. South African venues are priced in rand; other locations and online in US dollars. Fees exclude 15% VAT where applicable. Group bookings of three or more delegates from the same organisation qualify for a reduced rate; contact us for a quotation.

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