When I decided to take a Global Academic Travel Experience (GATE) course, I knew I wanted to deepen my understanding of how business, culture, and social impact intersect in a global context. GATE is designed to expose students to the complexities of doing business abroad, blending classroom learning with immersive travel. I was drawn to the South Africa program because of the country’s unique socio-economic history, entrepreneurial energy, and cultural richness. I expected to learn about its key industries and policy frameworks, but what I gained went far beyond that. This experience challenged me to rethink what inclusive growth looks like and how deeply history and identity can shape a nation’s business practices.
Traveling to South Africa was a reset in how I viewed human connection, social cues, and unspoken norms. As an MBA student used to efficiency, deadlines, and data, I found myself slowing down to absorb the culture around me. The way people greeted, engaged, and moved through the world was fundamentally different. I quickly realized that understanding South Africa would require me to listen more than I spoke.
Johannesburg welcomed me with a pause. I had barely set foot in O. R. Tambo Airport when I approached an official to ask for directions to the Uber pickup zone. He stopped me mid-sentence and said, “Good day, how are you?” That moment was my first lesson in South African etiquette. I hadn’t even greeted him. That subtle, almost instinctual practice of acknowledgment, of recognizing someone’s humanity before getting to the point, was a cultural undercurrent I felt everywhere in Joburg and Cape Town.
In Soweto, I learned that children are taught not to make direct eye contact with elders as a form of respect, something quite foreign to most Americans. Whether we were in bustling neighborhoods or local restaurants, the greetings were consistent and sincere. Adults and children alike offered formal greetings even in informal settings. It was never transactional as it often feels in the United States. Every interaction felt personal.
My culinary adventures began at The Harv Table in Joburg, where I sampled traditional African dishes largely made from organ meats. Some I liked, others less so, but I was grateful for the experience. I later learned these dishes, once considered poor man’s food, are now celebrated as delicacies — a nod to the resilience and pride in heritage that is woven into the South African identity.
Across Johannesburg and at our safari lodge in Qwabi Letamo, the food was diverse, reflecting both deep African traditions and colonial European influence. One of my favorite cultural contrasts came at Klein Goederust winery, where African cuisine was elevated and served proudly alongside wine. It was a deliberate act of culinary storytelling.
Our tour of the Apartheid Museum, lunch at Chez Alina, and walk through the Hector Pieterson Memorial was a weighty, unforgettable experience. Antoinette Sithole, Hector’s sister and our guide, gave a deeply personal account of the 1976 uprisings. Her perspective anchored the pain of the past in the present moment. It was hard to believe that this history is less than 30 years old. South Africa’s journey is still unfolding, and it shows in its people, its food, and its quiet daily rituals of respect.
From our first visit to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), it became clear that the country’s economic landscape is a tapestry of legacy industries like mining alongside fast-growing sectors like FinTech and social enterprise. I was struck by how developed South Africa’s financial services industry is. Not only does it lead on the continent, but it also competes globally.
Businesses in South Africa are expected to navigate not just markets, but the nation’s history and growth. Challenges like unemployment, inequality, and poverty are central to the strategic conversations we had with MTN, a major telecommunications company, and others.
At MTN, we asked tough questions. What role do corporations play in tackling structural poverty? How do they deliver low-cost services and still grow profitably? There is no easy answer, but South African firms are not ignoring the problem. They are innovating through technology, inclusive hiring, and community reinvestment.
Small business is where you see the roots of resilience. At Secha Capital, we learned how investment firms are targeting small and growing businesses with a clear impact lens. It is not just about returns, it is about transformation.
The visit to Lawhill Maritime Center showed how youth are being equipped with specific skills to thrive in niche industries like maritime logistics. The City Futures tour shed light on the informal economy and community-driven entrepreneurship, revealing the grit it takes to build something from very little.
Cape Town’s Parliament and Klein Goederust Winery offered two sides of the same coin. One was a view into how government prioritizes agriculture, tourism, and heritage. The other was a case study in differentiation. As the first fully Black-owned winery in Franschhoek, Klein Goederust leaned into African heritage and created space for South African identity in an industry often disconnected from it.
In the United States, social impact can feel supplementary, integrated to varying degrees depending on the organization and its goals. In South Africa, social impact felt foundational. Everywhere we went, social impact was not a nice-to-have, it was built into the business model.
At the JSE, we heard about bold mandates to increase Black executive representation across industries. Secha Capital focused explicitly on scaling Black women-owned businesses. Klein Goederust was intentional about hiring Black South Africans and elevating cultural identity. Nando’s proudly supports African art and traditional designers, not for show, but because it is part of their business model.
Social impact and business performance are not mutually exclusive. We heard over and over that more than 40% of South Africans are unemployed or underemployed. This reality forces companies to think differently. Growth is tied to employment. Profitability is tied to purpose. The question was not; “Should we invest in impact?” It was, “How can we afford not to?”
Even lifestyle or consumer brands like Nando’s talked about township investments, arts funding, and job creation. At Qwabi Letamo, the lodge’s impact went far beyond being a safari destination. It was a jobs engine, a sustainability experiment, and a place where nature conservation meets economic opportunity.
In South Africa, business, culture, and social impact are inseparable. As an MBA student, this trip changed my lens. I came to explore another economy. I left rethinking my own.
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Culture: Respect, Rhythm, and Roots
Traveling to South Africa was a reset in how I viewed human connection, social cues, and unspoken norms. As an MBA student used to efficiency, deadlines, and data, I found myself slowing down to absorb the culture around me. The way people greeted, engaged, and moved through the world was fundamentally different. I quickly realized that understanding South Africa would require me to listen more than I spoke.
Expressing Respect
Johannesburg welcomed me with a pause. I had barely set foot in O. R. Tambo Airport when I approached an official to ask for directions to the Uber pickup zone. He stopped me mid-sentence and said, “Good day, how are you?” That moment was my first lesson in South African etiquette. I hadn’t even greeted him. That subtle, almost instinctual practice of acknowledgment, of recognizing someone’s humanity before getting to the point, was a cultural undercurrent I felt everywhere in Joburg and Cape Town.
In Soweto, I learned that children are taught not to make direct eye contact with elders as a form of respect, something quite foreign to most Americans. Whether we were in bustling neighborhoods or local restaurants, the greetings were consistent and sincere. Adults and children alike offered formal greetings even in informal settings. It was never transactional as it often feels in the United States. Every interaction felt personal.
Tastes of Tradition
My culinary adventures began at The Harv Table in Joburg, where I sampled traditional African dishes largely made from organ meats. Some I liked, others less so, but I was grateful for the experience. I later learned these dishes, once considered poor man’s food, are now celebrated as delicacies — a nod to the resilience and pride in heritage that is woven into the South African identity.
Across Johannesburg and at our safari lodge in Qwabi Letamo, the food was diverse, reflecting both deep African traditions and colonial European influence. One of my favorite cultural contrasts came at Klein Goederust winery, where African cuisine was elevated and served proudly alongside wine. It was a deliberate act of culinary storytelling.
History Speaks
Our tour of the Apartheid Museum, lunch at Chez Alina, and walk through the Hector Pieterson Memorial was a weighty, unforgettable experience. Antoinette Sithole, Hector’s sister and our guide, gave a deeply personal account of the 1976 uprisings. Her perspective anchored the pain of the past in the present moment. It was hard to believe that this history is less than 30 years old. South Africa’s journey is still unfolding, and it shows in its people, its food, and its quiet daily rituals of respect.
Business: Growth, Grit, and Gaps
From our first visit to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), it became clear that the country’s economic landscape is a tapestry of legacy industries like mining alongside fast-growing sectors like FinTech and social enterprise. I was struck by how developed South Africa’s financial services industry is. Not only does it lead on the continent, but it also competes globally.
Growth With Deep Social Context
Businesses in South Africa are expected to navigate not just markets, but the nation’s history and growth. Challenges like unemployment, inequality, and poverty are central to the strategic conversations we had with MTN, a major telecommunications company, and others.
At MTN, we asked tough questions. What role do corporations play in tackling structural poverty? How do they deliver low-cost services and still grow profitably? There is no easy answer, but South African firms are not ignoring the problem. They are innovating through technology, inclusive hiring, and community reinvestment.
Empowering Small Businesses
Small business is where you see the roots of resilience. At Secha Capital, we learned how investment firms are targeting small and growing businesses with a clear impact lens. It is not just about returns, it is about transformation.
The visit to Lawhill Maritime Center showed how youth are being equipped with specific skills to thrive in niche industries like maritime logistics. The City Futures tour shed light on the informal economy and community-driven entrepreneurship, revealing the grit it takes to build something from very little.
Cape Town’s Parliament and Klein Goederust Winery offered two sides of the same coin. One was a view into how government prioritizes agriculture, tourism, and heritage. The other was a case study in differentiation. As the first fully Black-owned winery in Franschhoek, Klein Goederust leaned into African heritage and created space for South African identity in an industry often disconnected from it.
Social Impact: Built Into the Blueprint
In the United States, social impact can feel supplementary, integrated to varying degrees depending on the organization and its goals. In South Africa, social impact felt foundational. Everywhere we went, social impact was not a nice-to-have, it was built into the business model.
At the JSE, we heard about bold mandates to increase Black executive representation across industries. Secha Capital focused explicitly on scaling Black women-owned businesses. Klein Goederust was intentional about hiring Black South Africans and elevating cultural identity. Nando’s proudly supports African art and traditional designers, not for show, but because it is part of their business model.
Social impact and business performance are not mutually exclusive. We heard over and over that more than 40% of South Africans are unemployed or underemployed. This reality forces companies to think differently. Growth is tied to employment. Profitability is tied to purpose. The question was not; “Should we invest in impact?” It was, “How can we afford not to?”
Even lifestyle or consumer brands like Nando’s talked about township investments, arts funding, and job creation. At Qwabi Letamo, the lodge’s impact went far beyond being a safari destination. It was a jobs engine, a sustainability experiment, and a place where nature conservation meets economic opportunity.
In South Africa, business, culture, and social impact are inseparable. As an MBA student, this trip changed my lens. I came to explore another economy. I left rethinking my own.
The post Reflections from South Africa: Culture, Business, and Social Impact appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
More...
How does this impact your International MBA decision?
I'd be glad to learn your thoughts on this story : Reflections from South Africa: Culture, Business, and Social Impact