“South Africa being a growing economy is attracting people from various countries to come and explore the vast business opportunities.” Read on about the thoughts of an expat in South Africa
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Author: Nikita Singh
Thoughts of an Expat in South Africa
South Africa being a growing economy is attracting people from various countries to come and explore the vast business opportunities. In order to fill up the shortage of skills this is increasing on a daily basis. For the same reasons my husband’s company transferred him to South Africa and we moved here from India three years ago. So far it has been a good experience living in this country. I am in Johannesburg and we are a part of its young workforce.
I came here mentally prepared for the cultural differences that exist globally and so the settling-in phase into the ways of a new country wasn’t too difficult. In my stay so far, I have found the people here warm and open, showing a lot of interest in India which makes it all the more encouraging. People here are really keen to know about the various aspects of life in India- food, social set-up, religion, our cities.
Amongst the various day to day interactions that we have with the people that belong here one huge misconception about us from India is regarding our ability to communicate in English. They are taken in with our command over the language and the fluency to carry on a conversation in English. I have been often asked as to how have I learned a foreign language so well. It is a question that always surprises me and for a fraction of a moment leaves me speechless.
Of course English to us Indians is a foreign language. I then each time as a matter of fact go on to tell them that how English is now a part of our life in the metro cities, big cities and a large number of smaller cities as well. The long rule of a hundred and fifty years of the British over India has made English the second language in many parts of the country. It is the language of instruction in schools and higher institutions of learning and a language of communication in the workplace. Its spread and fluency has been one of the instrumental factors in the rise and growth of the multi-national companies, particularly the BPOs in India.
Getting to know all this is an eye-opener for the people here in South Africa and they are quite impressed. I am sure with the passage of time as the number of Indians grows out here this lack of understanding about our ability to communicate in English would be dispelled.
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