AfriGIS Languages Initiative
Episode 5
Meeting and Greeting Etiquette
Episode 5
Meeting and Greeting Etiquette
Good day, and welcome to the AfriGIS languages course. My name is Caster Seakamela and I am
Eugene Van Deventer and we will be presenting the AfriGIS languages course. The AfriGIS
languages course is a social responsibility and cultural integration initiative by AfriGIS. Please visit
us at www.afrigis.co.za/languages for more information and learning material.
Coming up today is episode five of the formal course which consists of twenty-six episodes
published on a bi-weekly basis. Today we will spend around five minutes on Meeting and Greeting
Etiquette, as well as learning about the correct body language and behaviour when meeting and
greeting a person.
Success in business comes from understanding the etiquette, the thinking, and the business
practices of those within a culture other than your own.
Dumelang bagaetsho – hello everyone or good afternoon all, dumelang bagolo, good day elders,
that will depend on the time of the day, as discussed in episode two.
These small words have a huge impact in Setswana.
By now you should be familiar with greetings in Setswana. When meeting people for the first time,
it is appropriate that you introduce yourself properly. To do that, extend your hand to the person
you are introducing yourself to, and then use the following phrase;
You may start by greeting them first:
Dumela: Good day, good morning
O kae? How are you?
Formal verbal greetings, accompanied by shaking the right hand while supporting one’s elbow with
the left hand, are used among Setswana acquaintances and when greeting an elder or one of
higher social status.
Young children greet elders by extending both hands or clapping, the elders respond by kissing
both hands and saying, O kae? Meaning, how are you? In this case the answer would be Ke teng,
meaning, I am fine.
When dealing with Batswana, most of them shake hands while maintaining eye contact and
smiling, however there are other groups that do not maintain eye contact as it is seen as a sign of
disrespect.
Some women do not shake hands and merely nod their head, so it is best to wait for a woman to
extend her hand.
Greetings are leisurely and include time for social discussions: Le tlhotse jang? Used in the
afternoon – How did you spend the day?
Le tsogile jang? Used in the morning. How are you this morning? Literally meaning how did you
wake up?
This illustrates that it is always safe to use the plural form when greeting.
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AfriGIS Languages
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Gestures
Hands may be pressed together in front of one’s chest before accepting a gift with both hands.
Batswana use a variety of gestures to suggest “no” or “no thanks”. Respect for elders during a
conversation is best shown by looking down toward the ground rather than into their eyes. Public
display of affection is considered to be inappropriate.
When yawning, one hand should cover the mouth. Spitting in public is inappropriate. Some ethnic
groups consider it impolite to gesture with the left hand. For many, it is polite to receive something
with both hands cupped together, rather than just one hand.
Now, this is where the introduction part begins:
Lebitso la me ke Caster, wena o mang?
My name is Caster and you are?
The person will respond by acknowledging your introduction and introduce themselves back to
you.
Ke itumetse go go itse.
I am pleased to meet you.
Nna ke bitswa John. I am called John.
The follow up question could be used to ask someone where they are from.
O tswa ko kae?
Where do you come from?
Ke tswa ko Pretoria, wena o tswa ko kae?
I come from Pretoria and where do you come from?
Ke tswa ko England. I come from England
O tlile neng mo South Africa?
When did you come to South Africa?
Ke tile ka June 2010.
I came here in June 2010
Jaanong o dira ko kae?
Now, where do you work?
Ke dira ko AfriGIS.
I work at AfriGIS.
Ke itumetse go go itse.
Nice meeting you
This concludes the lesson for today. The next episode will be on Health and Safety phrases.
Please visit us at www.afrigis.co.za/languages for more topics of interest. Sala sentle.
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AfriGIS Languages
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