When you live (as opposed to vacation) in a country for a period of time, you develop cultural survival skills to navigate its society. This happened for Tracy and me in 1992–93 while Tracy was doing field work for her PhD and for our family in 2009 while I was on sabbatical, both times in South Africa. We're now living in Ghana for an extended period of time, and comparisons are inevitable.
There is a South African joke that goes something like this: if you vacation for a week, you write a book; if you visit for a month, you write an article; when you reside for a year, you keep quiet! The truth behind the joke is that experience both expands your knowledge of a culture’s nuances and complexities and tempers any claim to deep understanding.
As we were preparing to depart the U.S., I guarded against assuming any of my South African survival skills would pertain to Ghana. But, as we are now about two-thirds through our residence in Accra (and at the risk of ignoring the lesson of the South African joke), I’ve been allowing myself to consider what from South Africa applies to Ghana (and what doesn’t).
I find that a surprising number of our South African survival skills are pertinent. For example, both countries have a slow, laid-back pace of life. You can’t pack so much into a day; if you try, you suffer. Both countries have enough differences from the U.S. that frustrations are inevitable; resisting only makes it worse. And, both societies run on relationships. Without a connection, you get nowhere.
Of course, there are many differences, too. Our South African driving skills (left side of the road, most drivers obey the rules) aren’t helpful in Ghana (right-hand drive, hardly anyone follows the official rules). We find that connection to tradition is much stronger in Ghana than in South Africa; chieftaincy is much closer to the surface, and patronage is significant as well. Although South Africa struggles with government corruption, it is almost nonexistent in daily life. In contrast, corruption is persistent throughout Ghanaian society.
Other differences include the fact that race issues are less prominent in Ghana than in South Africa, which suffers from the legacy of Apartheid. And individual Ghanians are, by and large, more friendly and hospitable than individual South Africans. (Although I forged deeper relationships with South Africans in 2009 than with Ghanians in 2016, probably due to differences in my particular work and life experiences in the two countries.)
To be sure, South Africa and Ghana are very different places, even if they share a continent and are less different from each other than from the U.S. We’re blessed with the opportunity to experience both. May we enjoy their similarities and celebrate their differences!
—Matt
