Business culture in Ethiopia

In every country, in addition to laws and traditions, there are rules of business etiquette that are usually followed so as not to find yourself in an awkward situation. To do business in Ethiopia, an economically developing country on the African continent, one must respect and take into account the nuances of its unique historical and cultural heritage.

Greeting

Greetings in Ethiopian business culture are quite formal and polite, especially in the early stages of a relationship. The traditional form of greeting is a fairly long and at the same time light handshake, which is accompanied by direct eye contact.

Handshakes are usually exchanged between men. If there is a woman among the Ethiopian partners, the foreign man needs to wait for her initiative before extending his hand to greet her.

In Ethiopia, it is customary to show respect to elders — both by age and position. Such people should be welcomed first. In this case, for example, a younger man, greeting an older colleague, touches his right hand with his left hand during a handshake, covering it, that is, as if extending both hands for a handshake.

Islamic men do not shake hands with women. This is only possible if they are united by family or long-term friendships. In any case, the man needs to wait for the initiative from the woman, who should be the first to extend her hand in greeting. If this does not happen, it is enough to limit yourself to a greeting nod or a slight half-bow.

People on friendly terms hug each other when greeting, exchange kisses — as a rule, 3 times, but sometimes (if you haven’t seen each other for a long time) there may be more such kisses.

You should not be in a hurry when greeting. It is important to give enough attention to each person you greet.

Formal greeting in Amharic — Tena Yistilign — Hello — (read Tenayistlin).

Presentation

A resident of Ethiopia, as a rule, has a first and last name, without an intermediate middle name or patronymic, for example, Seyoum Mesfin (a well-known politician in this state). When moving to other (especially Western) countries, Ethiopians sometimes use their father's name as their middle name. In this case, the surnames of members of the same family may look different, which may cause some confusion.

In situations of official, formal and business communication, when addressing, use the positions, degrees or titles of the partner, if any.

Follow the example of your Ethiopian colleagues in terms of the use of names, positions and titles. Maintain the appropriate level of formality for the situation.

Don't forget to state your job titles, professional qualifications, academic titles and degrees when introducing yourself, and also indicate them during correspondence with Ethiopian partners. This will help them better understand the level of your authority, especially in the process of making certain decisions.

If you don’t know your partner’s professional title or title (or it simply doesn’t exist), use polite forms of address, namely: Mister, Mistress, Miss, followed by the person’s last name.

Women, as a rule, do not change their last name after marriage.

Exchange business cards

In addition to standard information (first name, last name, company name, contact information), also indicate your position or position in the company, as well as other possible credentials. This will help your Ethiopian colleague understand your place in the hierarchical structure of the organization you represent.

The text of the business card can be in English, which meets the expectations of the business community in this country. However, your Ethiopian colleague will be pleasantly surprised if he sees this text in Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia).

In general, exchanging business cards is not an essential part of business communication in Ethiopia; many businessmen may not even have business cards. Accordingly, there is no special ritual when handing over a business card in the practice of business communication. It is only important to pass the business card to your partner with your right hand (or both hands), but in no case with your left hand.

Small talk: the big picture

During the conversation, it is important to maintain a pleasant, inviting atmosphere that promotes the development of relationships between its participants.

The communication style at the beginning of communication can be described as polite and quite formal. A calm, even, self-possessed manner of communication, without excessive display of emotions, will be well received.

In Ethiopia, it is customary to listen carefully to your interlocutor, especially in the early stages of relationship development. Similar behavior is expected from guests, especially foreigners.

Your partners in Ethiopia will speak out quite directly, expressing their opinions or giving this or that assessment. You may not notice this during the first meeting, but over time you will be able to see it. Business people in Ethiopia tend to communicate in a generally more direct manner than, for example, other African and especially Asian cultures.

In Ethiopian culture, a person’s position in the company, his status and age are of great importance. This is important to consider when communicating, especially if you are among older people.

Preferred themes

Show interest in Ethiopia, its culture and attractions. Ethiopians are proud of their country and will appreciate your interest in what is happening in this state and how it is developing.

Generally positive statements about Ethiopia will make a good impression on a representative of the local culture.

Family and family affairs. In Ethiopia, it is common to talk about your family. You should not abruptly stop talking about this topic if it seems quite personal to you. Try to steer the conversation toward a “safe” direction. topics for you.

Don't be surprised if the topic of health comes up in a conversation with your Ethiopian colleague. This is also often talked about in this society.

The topic of weather is considered a universal conversation starter in any society, including Ethiopian.

Taboo topics

Many Ethiopians are religious and, one might say, quite conservative. Do not allow yourself even veiled critical statements about this or that religion or the religious position of any person.

Political topics should be avoided in general, especially criticism of the state or government. It’s also not worth saying that life is “better” in other countries. or “safer.”

Topics of morality and ethics will not be well received by your colleague in Ethiopia.

Don't ask your colleague in Ethiopia questions about what ethnic group he or she belongs to. This will not be received well. Instead, you can ask what area or region your partner's family is from.

Comfortable communication distance

It should be borne in mind that the distance of comfortable communication among the people of Ethiopia, even those belonging to different ethnic groups, is less than in other cultures, i.e. less than arm's length.

Ethiopians feel comfortable being at a fairly close distance from each other. During a conversation, they often touch each other, thereby emphasizing their participation and interest in the topic of the conversation.

Touching (in the area of the arm, shoulder) is possible both in a conversation between persons of the same sex and between sexes. The exception is people professing Islam. In accordance with the canons of this religion, touching between men and women who are not related is impossible.

On city streets you can see people, including those of the same sex, walking holding hands. This indicates friendly (and not necessarily love) relationships between people.

When talking to an Ethiopian colleague, it is important to maintain direct eye contact. By doing this, you demonstrate your interest in the conversation.

Features of communication

The basis of communication in this society is relationships that require people to trust each other. Your potential partner in Ethiopia needs to get to know you better before he is ready to start a joint project with you. If you rush and get straight to the point, you can lose this partner forever.

As the relationship is established and a sense of trust develops, you will see how your Ethiopian partner will change: he will express his opinions more freely and directly, respond openly to suggestions and make them himself. At the same time, the personal element will always be present in communication.

Pay attention to the way your partner communicates. If he continues to be reserved and formal, then trust has not been established and you still have to work on it. If quite a lot of time has passed, think about it, maybe something is going wrong in your relationship.

The communication style of Ethiopian colleagues may differ depending on what language they speak. Speaking English, they strive to express their thoughts quite directly and clearly, ensuring that they are adequately understood. English is the second language, after Amharic, for the majority of the inhabitants of this country, so it is important for speakers to avoid ambiguities and the possibility of a different interpretation of what was said.

When communicating in their native language (Amharic or some local language), Ethiopians tend to be less straightforward. They use forms and expressions in their speech that can be interpreted differently by their interlocutors depending on the situation and context.