eNewsHound

Understanding the customs and rules of etiquette is important to one traveling to any foreign country. The same of course, goes for visiting South Africa. For instance, just the simple greeting, the giving of gifts, the behavior expected when visiting one’s house for dinner is an opportunity to either offend someone unknowingly, or to react in a gracious manner through the knowledge of these customs.

When meeting a person in public, such as on a city street or in some of the best hotels, South Africa styles of greetings vary according the heritage of the person you are greeting. Some of the people from South Africa will greet foreigners with a hand shake and a smile, while keeping eye contact. If greeting a South African woman it is best to wait for her to respond first, as not all the women of the country are comfortable with shaking hands, and will just merely nod their head.

There are also unspoken rules regarding the giving and the receiving of gifts. Gifts should always be wrapped with care, as it is the effort that goes into the decoration, as well as the gift, that is appreciated. When given a gift, it is polite to open it immediately. To accept a gift but wait until later to open it may offend the giver. Most of the time gives are exchanged for Christmas and to celebrate birthdays, however if invited to one’s house, one must never fail to bring a gift for the host. A simple flower arrangement or some candies are all that is expected.

When dining at the house of a South African, it is important to be on time and to call ahead to find out if there is anything the host would like you to bring. Casual clothes are generally not worn, those such as shorts or jeans, unless it is known that this will be a casual event. Most of the time, those attending the houses of others tend to dress up just a bit. And as it is just simple polite behavior, it is in good taste to offer to help to clean up after the meal. These simple niceties and acts of politeness will generate a feeling of ease when attempting to understand another culture, and in avoiding causing unnecessary offense.

Tourists eager for a photo with Cape Town‘s signature baboons will soon face fines or even jail time if they are caught offering food to the wild animals.

Earlier this week officials of the city issued a statement that deliberate baiting of baboons would result in fines of up to 1,500 rand or $150 US dollars. Alternate sentences would involve a six-month jail term. While the warning it mostly directed toward tour operators, tourists who take it upon themselves to feed the baboons would also be liable.

The problems stem from tour operators (and the occasional tourist) who use food to lure the baboons to provide photo-opportunities. The result is that the monkeys have become more and more aggressive in seeking out food. Some have been known to snatch bags from tourists and in a recent case, several baboons jumped into a car to get more food after several American tourists got out to take pictures.

Cape Town is one of the more popular tourist destinations in South Africa. The city has a number of Cape Town five star hotels as well as budget hostels, theme hotels, and guest houses that fill up during the city’s busy season. The baboons are a protected species that make perfect souvenier photos. However, when the animals get too aggressive, park rangers are forced to kill the animals.

The city is planning a “baboon summit” to investigate other ways to deal with the problem. Cape Town is home to an estimated 350 Chacma baboons.