South Africans are known for being among the friendliest people in the world. In fact, a 2024 survey found that South Africans are among the most agreeable people in the world, exhibiting deep empathy, understanding, and hospitality toward both strangers and loved ones. Below are some of the prominent South African cultures you can expect to encounter while in the Rainbow Nation.

 

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What is Indigenous South African Culture?

Indigenous South African culture is rooted in tribal heritage originating from Xhosa, Zulu, and Sotho tribes. These cultures are present throughout South Africa, displaying a strong focus on family, community, and reverence for both elders and ancestors.

Roots of Indigenous Culture

The earliest inhabitants of South Africa were the Khoisan people, who can trace their lineage back 100,000 years, making them the direct descendants of the earliest humans. This has equipped the Khoisan with a unique genome, distinguishing them from every other group on the planet.

The Khoisan originally consisted of two groups: the Khoekhoe, who specialised in herding livestock, and the San, who specialised in gathering plants and hunting animals. Khoisan people also pioneered tool-making techniques like heat-treating stone and creating spear tips.

Around 400 AD, the Khoisan would be joined by the Bantu people of Eastern and Central Africa, who introduced metallurgy, farming, and adobe construction. These two groups would eventually give rise to the Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho people as we know them today.

Elements of Indigenous Culture

Every indigenous culture in South Africa has its own unique language, traditions, foods, dances, and beliefs. South Africa has 11 officially recognised languages, nine of which are indigenous languages, and six dialects of Khoisan are considered the original indigenous languages of the region.

• Languages: Indigenous languages include isiZulu, isiXhosa, isiNdebele, siSwati, Sesotho, Setswana, Sepedi, Tshivenda, and Xitsonga. Officially recognised dialects of Khoisan include Khoekhoegowab, !Orakobab, Xirikobab, N|uuki, ǃXunthali, and Khwedam.
• Foods: Popular foods among indigenous cultures include samp and beans, amasi (a sour milk drink), and Morogo (a dark green leaf often called “African Spinach”). Meats (nyama) and traditionally fermented alcohol (umqombothi) are commonly enjoyed in traditional settings, especially weddings, funerals, and tribal meetings.
• Religious Beliefs: Indigenous cultures often practise a blend of Christianity and ancestral worship. This unique combination has created a socio-cultural distinction between those who align with indigenous traditions and other groups in South Africa.

What is Afrikaner Culture?

Afrikaner culture refers to the ethnic and cultural descendants of predominantly Dutch settlers who made the Cape Colony their home. However, many individuals with both German and French heritage also identify as Afrikaners, meaning the majority can trace their lineage back to European origins.

Roots of Afrikaner Culture

Afrikaner culture traces its roots back to Dutch colonialism in the 17th century. Many Afrikaner settlers were traders who set up businesses in the Cape Colony before eventually making it their permanent home. This was a common occurrence, resulting in many new settlers who would later become known as Afrikaners.

Afrikaners developed their own unique language called Afrikaans. While it originally evolved from Dutch, Afrikaans incorporates elements of other European languages like French and German, as well as indigenous languages such as Bantu and Xhosa.

Afrikaners often speak Afrikaans as their first language, English as their second, and sometimes indigenous languages. It is very common for not only Afrikaners, but virtually all South Africans to be multilingual to some degree.

Elements of Afrikaner Culture

Afrikaner culture is typically centred around family, whether it be family outings or having a braai (barbecue) on weekends. Farming, homesteading, and rearing livestock remain an important part of their cultural identity. In recent years, Afrikaans music has also gained nationwide popularity.

• Foods: Afrikaner food culture has a few prominent dishes, including braai (flame-grilled meats), potjiekos (stew cooked in a three-legged cast iron pot over a fire), and a bredie (a lamb stew cooked with vegetables). Snacks like biltong and droëwors are also very popular.
• Religious Beliefs: Afrikaner culture is strongly rooted in Christianity and traditional Christian values.
• Sports: Afrikaner culture is typically associated with sports like rugby and football, with both watching and participating seen as opportunities to connect with friends and family.

What is Cape Malay Culture?

The term “Cape Malay” refers to both an ethnic group and a cultural identity. It’s generally used as a broad term to describe mixed-race individuals residing in the Cape Flats. However, not all individuals of mixed descent subscribe to this culture.

Roots of Cape Malay Culture

Cape Malay culture traces its roots back to enslaved Southeast Asian peoples, particularly from Indonesia, Malaysia, and The Philippines, as well as the Khoisan and European settlers. Many attribute this diverse heritage to the arrival of the Dutch East India Company led by Jan van Riebeeck in Cape Town in 1652.

Cape Malay culture consists primarily of English and Afrikaans, with the latter having a unique dialect within the culture, often mixing the two in what’s known as “Afrikaaps”. This dialect is unique to the Cape Flats and spoken nowhere else in South Africa.

Cape Malay culture is unique because, unlike other South African cultural groups, it incorporates individuals of different ethnicities, races, religions, languages, and traditions. These differences are what solidify the culture, enabling people to draw strength from diversity.

Elements of Cape Malay Culture

Cape Malay people celebrate their identity through foods, traditional celebrations, languages, dialects, dances, music, and so much more.

• Religion: Cape Malay culture is religiously diverse but primarily consists of people who practice Islam and Christianity. There are also individuals who practise Buddhism or identify as agnostic or atheist.
• Food: Cape Malay food is incredibly diverse reflecting its mixed heritage. Popular Cape Malay foods are samosas (triangular-shaped pastry pockets, deep-fried, filled with a savoury spicy meat mixture), Koeksisters (sugary dough balls), breyani (a spicy meat/chicken dish with rice), and the Gatsby (a foot-long sandwich with steak, chicken eggs, lettuce, tomato, spices, and sauces).
• Dance: An extremely important cultural event in Cape Malay heritage is the “Tweede Nuwe Jaar” (Second New Year) parade on January 2nd. Here, the Cape Minstrel Carnival, known as the “Kaapse Klopse”, participate in a vibrant festival featuring thousands of minstrels in colourful costumes, dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments such as the “ghoema” drum, trumpets, and tambourines.

Moving to South Africa? Choose AGS Movers!

Experience South African culture firsthand with AGS Movers! We offer professional moving and relocation services from anywhere across the globe.

Whether you’re moving to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, or Pretoria, our team of professionals will ensure a stress-free, seamless moving experience for you and your loved ones.

South Africa’s cultural richness is waiting for you. Let AGS Movers help you settle in with ease, so you can focus on embracing your new life. Get in touch with us today and take the first step towards your move.

 
From Cape Town’s stunning coastlines 🏖️ to Johannesburg’s buzzing energy 🌆, and Durban’s warm beaches 🌊 to Port Elizabeth’s charm 🪁 — our teams across South Africa are here to help every step of the way.

💼 Ready to pack your bags? Start with our Moving to South Africa Starter Pack & let us handle the rest.

✨ Move with care. Move with expertise. Move with AGS.

 
South Africa is calling! Watch our Moving Starter Pack ✨ and begin your stress-free relocation today — your new chapter awaits!

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As a partner in the event, the French Embassy of South Africa called on the French-owned AGS Group to ship the pieces from Johannesburg to the foundation’s Cape Town headquarters, the auction house for the occasion.

The AGS team readily donated the services of their specialised art transport division.

Art on the move

Be it a sculpture or a painting, protecting art in transit requires more than bubble wrap. In fact, the moving industry staple is to be avoided at all costs, according to AGS Johannesburg branch manager Morne Rudolph. “Since bubble wrap is made of plastic, it traps moisture which could damage the canvas, particularly in humid climates,” he explains.

Instead, each piece is suspended in a tailor-made skeleton frame before being packed into another custom-built crate that has been lined with foam to reduce jarring during transport. With oil paintings especially, it’s important to keep packing material away from the canvas. Depending on how many layers the artist has applied, the paint can take years to dry, and packaging may stick to the surface.

These precautions may seem extreme, but it’s this level of care that ensures the works remain in pristine condition during their journey – quite important when you’re trying to raise as much money as possible.

The legacy continues

Local and international bidders did not disappoint, raising 3.9 million rands ($257 000). The best-performing lot was West of Sutherland, a landscape in oils by renowned South African realist John Meyer, which fetched R850 000 ($56 000). Wine estate experiences and luxury items were also up for grabs, including a black and white diamond-encrusted ring which went under the hammer for R40 000 ($2 300).

The foundation’s development officer, Edwin Arrison, confirms the funds will be allocated to various projects, including developing and implementing leadership programmes built on the Archbishop’s values, providing a platform for difficult but necessary dialogues, and advocating for peace and social justice.

Edwin notes, “For over 40 years, the Archbishop tirelessly campaigned for peaceful activism, love and reconciliation, favouring no political party or religion – that was his great contribution to the world. Now it’s time for us to honour his memory and take over his work.”

We pay tribute to the buoyant and impish clergyman who dedicated his life to serving humanity.

To support the good work of the Desmond and Leah Tutu Foundation, visit https://www.tutu.org.za/get-involved/.

Roses in the Big Glass, an etching by well-known artist William Kentridge, fetched more than R300 000 ($19 000).

Titled Dancing Tutu, this 42cm bronze figure by sculptor Barry Jackson found a new home for R91 040 ($6 000).

– Nelson Mandela, from his book a “Long Walk to Freedom”

Today our South African employees and customers celebrate #FreedomDay. This quote not only highlights South Africa’s journey to democracy, it also symbolises the journey of life we are all on, including the challenges we face.

Life will present you with your own “great hills,” but moving doesn’t have to be one of them. We have solutions to move you move you from A-Z, making that part of your journey just a little bit easier.

Happy Freedom Day South Africa.

What’s more, our personalised and innovative services will make your journey all smooth sailing!

Contact our Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth or Johannesburg branch, and let us be the carrier of choice for your treasured items!

Get a free quote

We believe that proper planning and coordination are the foundations of a successful move, and with our office move action plans, we help to minimise the loss of productivity for your business.

Talk to one of our branches today about turning moving offices into “dreamwork”.

https://www.agsmovers.com/branches/africa/south-africa/

Did you know that Afrikaans is the youngest official language in the world?

Born 340 years ago in the homes of South Africa’s Dutch, German and French settlers, it is an offshoot of Dutch with English, German and Malay influences. It is also one of the smallest official languages, with only 13 million speakers.

At AGS Movers South Africa, we offer our services in Afrikaans, English, Xhosa or any other of our country’s 11 official languages. Our sales reps at our branches in Cape Town, JHB, Port Elizabeth and Durban are ready to help you.

“Ons staan reg om jou te help.”

“Sikulungele ukukunceda”

We may be known for our global moving solutions, but our local solutions are just as lekker! Our team of experts is ready to help you move anywhere in our beautiful country, with a single point of contact and custom packing/unpacking solutions. We even go that extra mile (okay, kilometer in South Africa) and help you clean up once you’re all moved in.

AGS Movers South Africa is ready to help you move locally – contact any one of our SA branches today!

https://www.agsmovers.com/branches/africa/south-africa/

In stark contrast to some gloomy attitudes towards Africa expressed in the early 1990s, AGS recognised Africa’s importance to the global economy, as a leading resources supplier and a young population.

AGS is proud to have played an integral role for over a quarter of a century in improving accessibility to African growth markets, by delivering high-quality mobility services to professionals and their families arriving in and travelling from this dynamic continent.

The first AGS branch in Africa opened in 1992 in the Ivory Coast, and within 22 years new branches were established in a further 47 countries on the continent.

The Africa54 vision

In 2014 the AGS Group launched our ‘Africa 54’ project, committed to achieving 100% network coverage of Africa in 2016. Unwavering dedication has enabled the AGS Group to continue expanding our network of subsidiary branches to all 54 countries in Africa: a historic and unique first for a privately-owned company!

We look forward to celebrating this milestone through high-profile events in Johannesburg (20 September 2016), Paris (27 September 2016) and London (29 September 2016).

This will be a celebration of the 25 years’ presence of the AGS Group in Africa, as well as of the complete coverage it offers its customers throughout the world for their mobility to or from Africa. This is through a unique, consistent and reliable service: an answer that is both local and global.

To follow AGS’ Africa54 news, please visit www.agsmovers.com/africa54

AGS Frasers Mali marked the end of 2015 with an exceptional transport operation. After receiving shipments of the UN’s technological and computer equipment from France, AGS Frasers Mali’s team organized in mid-December one of the most important inland removals of its year – in terms of covered distance.

Leaving AGS’ premises in Bamako, where the first equipment consignment had been stored for a few months, a convoy of six trucks drove towards the United Nation’s site in Kidal: 1500 km away, in the North-Eastern region of Mali.

The journey – particularly challenging due to its length – required the support of two separate convoys. The six trucks on the road were first escorted by a local police group, accompanying them across the 400km separating Douentza from Gao, and later by a UN escort.

Despite the scale of this ten-day operation and its unique challenges – such as the convoy being restricted to a speed of only 30km/hour while crossing the harsh desert environment between Gao and Kidal – AGS ensured that the equipment was successfully delivered on deadline.

We wish to congratulate the whole AGS Frasers Mali team who lead this difficult project and ensured the security of the United Nations’ equipment throughout the journey!

Wherever you are moving from or to in Africa, you can rely on AGS’ strong network of branches and expertise, which this year will cover all 54 countries of the continent: a project which is very close to the heart of the Group and that will culminate in September 2016 with three celebrations planned in Johannesburg, Paris, and London.