#HOTCS: Trindard Makunike, Johannesburg

“If you want to do business in South Africa, you should really visit the country. South Africans prefer face-to-face interaction. They prefer shaking hands at least once. Your competitors from Japan and China, from the UK, from Europe, they will all make that trip to South Africa. The initial introduction should be here, and then follow-up meetings can be at trade fairs, in Europe or the UK for example. Email, yes, that’s one way to reach out. By phone is another. But you can’t finalize business and sign contracts over a phone call. South African businesspeople need to see the person.”