Dealing with Language issues in partnering African Business

Language barriers can have a profound impact on your business. In Africa, there are different languages associated with different tribes, cultural and ethnic groups, this has form a challenge in business transaction and cannot be ignored. A key to being successful in international business is to understand the role of language in international business. Whatever sector you are operating in, language and cultural differences will have a direct impact on your profitability. Improving your level of knowledge of international cultural difference in business can aid in building international competencies as well as enabling you to gain a competitive advantage. However, in dealing with language issues, it is important to understand that it is also hard to be aware of every single aspect of each country’s organizational culture and languages where a country may have different languages according to the size of the ethnic groups in the country. It is also important to have a strategy in place to mitigate language issues before they cause serious problems. So, here’s a closer look at some strategies that can help overcome language barriers with your global partners;

1.      Set objectives for acquiring language skills through recruitment and training

2.       Add key languages to the company website and literature

3.      Learn the language if possible

4.      Read other articles relating to culture and ethics of the desired language

   Using online translators such as Babel Fish or Google Translate will also go a long way. translation websites have come a very long way, they are really only useful for understanding the ‘gist’ of  a text Finally, do not let the language barrier deter you from building international business. It’s not enough to just assume that everyone speaks English, however overcoming the obstacles is not as daunting as it may seem, and by taking the issue seriously, a business can acquire an important competitive lead in the market.