So, you’re dealing with an Afrikaans client and really want to impress them. Excellent! You can do this instantly by speaking good business language in Afrikaans! 

As you know, speaking someone’s native language is a speedy and easy way to gain their favor. To Afrikaans business owners, this could demonstrate that you’re serious about…well, business! It will also show that you’ve invested personal effort into the business relationship. 

Why not start straight away with our excellent video, “Learn Afrikaans Business Language in 15 Minutes,” featured at the beginning of this article? Or read our blog post about How to Find a Job in South Africa!

AfrikaansPod101 employs numerous means to support you while you learn business Afrikaans phrases and other important aspects of the language. Our lessons are culturally relevant, which should be important to you! Because knowing the details of Afrikaans culture can only benefit your business dealings with the natives. 

We meet you at your current level, so you never have to worry about falling behind. That said, our Premium PLUS option supplies a guided learning system to help ensure you don’t make a fool of yourself when meeting your Afrikaans business client. That’s our business—to make you shine in Afrikaans! 

In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the most relevant and commonly used Afrikaans business phrases and vocabulary so you can easily find what you’re looking for. Most of these phrases can be used across all communication media: in person, or via phone, email, letter, text, voicemail, and so forth.

Let’s imagine a business meeting from the beginning…

Table of Contents

1. The Meeting
2. The Business
3. Tips for Afrikaans Business Etiquette
4. Why AfrikaansPod101 Can Really Boost Your Business!

1. The Meeting

Following are some phrases you’re likely to use when setting up (and at the start of) a business meeting with an Afrikaans businessperson.

1.1 Making the Appointment

Afrikaans businesspeople are, as a rule, organized, and they value the same quality in others. Below are some business Afrikaans phrases you may find helpful when making an appointment. For the first two phrases, always remember to follow good phone etiquette for business.

Phone Calls

Let’s start with two basic phrases for phone conversations: how to make a call and how to answer one.

Making a call:

Goeiedag, Sanjay. Dis Seo-yun wat praat.

“Good day, Sanjay. It’s Seo-yun speaking.”

Answering a call:

Goeiedag. Dis Seo-yun hier.

“Good day. It’s Seo-yun here.”

Business Cards

Exchanging business cards in Afrikaans business settings is common during an initial meeting. Here’s how you can initiate a business card exchange:

Kan ons besigheidskaartjies ruil, asseblief?

“Can we exchange business cards, please?”

Hier is my besigheidskaartjie.

“Here is my business card.”

Setting Up Appointments and Keeping in Touch

Bel my gerus.

“Feel free to call me.”

Kan ons dit telefonies bespreek?

“Can we discuss this over the phone?”

Bel gerus my sekretaresse vir ‘n afspraak.	“Feel free to call my secretary for an appointment.”
In Afrikaans, sekretaresse / “secretary” is used interchangeably with ontvangsdame / “receptionist.”

Ek wil graag ‘n videokonferensie reël.

“I would like to organize a video conference.”

Hoe besig is jou skedule?

“How busy is your schedule?”

Kan ons volgende week ontmoet?

“Can we meet next week?”

Watter tyd sal jou die beste pas?

“What time will suit you best?”

Ek stel voor ons ontmoet by die kantoor.

“I suggest we meet at the office.”

Sal ek vir ons plek bespreek by die restaurant vir middagete?

“Shall I book us a table at the restaurant for lunch?”

Daardie tyd pas my goed.

“That time suits me well.”

Sal jy my jou adres gee, asseblief?

“Would you give me your address, please?”

Ek sien uit na ons afspraak.

“I’m looking forward to our meeting.”

1.2 The Greeting

Greeting someone is an important part of any business meeting, especially when you meet for the first time—you’ll be sizing each other up and forming all sorts of ideas! Now you can make a great first impression with these Afrikaans business phrases.

Aangename kennis. My naam is Sanjay Patel.

“Pleased to meet you. My name is Sanjay Patel.”

Laat ek jou voorstel aan my vennoot.	“Let me introduce you to my business partner.”
Vennoot / “business partner” can be replaced with kollega / “colleague,” and so on. This phrase can be used interchangeably with the next one.

Laat my toe om julle voor te stel.

“Allow me to introduce you.”

Mevrou Van Heerden, ontmoet vir Morgan. Morgan, ontmoet vir Mevrou Van Heerden.	“Mrs. Van Heerden, meet Morgan. Morgan, meet Mrs. Van Heerden.”
In Afrikaans business environments, always introduce the younger person to the older person first.

Goeiedag. Dis goed om jou te ontmoet.	“Good day. It’s good to meet you.”
Use this phrase when you’re being introduced to another person.

Ons het al baie oor die foon gesels! Dis goed om jou persoonlik te ontmoet.

“We’ve spoken a lot over the phone already! It’s good to meet you in person.”

Dis goed om jou weer te sien!

“It’s good seeing you again!”

Jammer ek is laat!

“Sorry I am late!”

Also be sure to check out even more tips on How To Say Hello in Afrikaans Like a Native Speaker!

1.3 The Small Talk

Afrikaners are affable and friendly people by nature, so small talk is good! Asking questions concerning their wellbeing will make them feel like you’re interested in them. They will likely pay attention to what you share about your personal life, so make sure you take careful note of their details, too.

Use the following questions to open a small talk conversation with an Afrikaans businessperson:

Gaan dit goed? / Hoe gaan dit?

“Are you doing well?” / “How are you doing?”

Het jy ons maklik gevind?

“Did you find us easily?”

Het jy goed gereis? / Hoe was jou reis?

“Have you traveled well?” / “How was your journey?”

Is dit jou eerste besoek aan ___?	“Is this your first visit to ___?”
In the blank, simply add the name of the country you’re inquiring about, if not South Africa.

Jy lyk goed!	“You’re looking well!”
Like any other person, Afrikaners love compliments. However, keep these for when you know them a bit better, and only if you really mean it. Nobody likes false flattery.

Hoe gaan dit met jou familie?	“How is your family doing?”
This is another question better left for later in the business relationship. Afrikaners will always appreciate you asking this as long as you’re sincere—family is big for Afrikaners.

Hoe was jou vakansie gewees?	“How was your holiday?”
Asking questions based on your previous conversations with your client, or based on what you know about them, will show that you’re interested in them as a person, not just a business asset.

Sal ons begin? / Goed, laat ons begin.

“Shall we start?” / “Okay, let us start.”

Ek het ‘n ander vergadering om een-uur, so…	“I have another meeting at one o’clock, so…”
This open-ended statement can be used on its own, since its implications are clear. Or, it can be paired nicely with the next sentence.

Sal jy omgee as ons begin?

“Would you mind if we started?”

Sekerlik, kom ons begin.

“Sure, let us start.”

1.4 The Parting

Obviously, etiquette at the end of a business meeting is just as important as at the beginning. Here are some phrases you might find helpful:

Baie dankie, dit was goed gewees om jou weer te sien.

“Thank you very much, it’s been good seeing you again.”

Dankie vir jou tyd, ek waardeer dit.

“Thank you for your time, I appreciate it.”

Dankie dat jy al die pad hiernatoe gekom het.

“Thank you for coming all the way here.”

Hierdie was produktief gewees, dankie.

“This was productive, thank you.”

Sal ons volgende week dieselfde tyd ontmoet?

“Shall we meet again the same time next week?”

My sekretaresse sal jou kontak vir ons volgende afspraak, as dit reg is?

“My secretary will contact you for our next appointment, if it’s okay?”

Ek waardeer jou moeite, baie dankie.	“I appreciate your effort, thank you very much.”
This is also a good phrase for managing people. Sincere compliments are motivating!

2. The Business

Despite their affable appearance, Afrikaners are private at heart. In fact, they tend to appreciate good, somewhat English manners that (at least initially) honor politeness and a certain social distance. 

Some of them can appear a bit gruff and unpolished in their manner, but more often than not, this tough exterior hides a sensitive and very loyal soul. Because of this “soft core,” so to speak, they tend to be careful—if not somewhat cynical—about business partners at first. 

But no worries, the secret into their hearts and pockets is pretty simple: be attentive to their needs, always be respectful in how you treat them, and consistently demonstrate honesty, reliability, and transparency in all business dealings. If, over time, they find that they can trust you, good business partners very often turn into friends. And you’ll find that you’ve made a friend for life!

Afrikaans businesspeople won’t expect from you what they don’t offer themselves. They tend to be extremely loyal to old and trusted business partners and clients, and they’re reliable, very hard workers themselves.

Afrikaners are also tenacious and real problem-solvers. In fact, we have an old saying in Afrikaans: ‘n Boer maak ‘n plan, which means “A farmer makes a plan.” It’s a population trait—Afrikaners don’t give up, because they always make a plan! So, if you need to get things done properly in business and the workplace, appoint an Afrikaner.

When doing business in South Africa, also keep in mind that Afrikaners prefer to keep things simple and straightforward in business. Don’t mess with them, though; you’ll soon find doors closing not-so-quietly in your face. Trust is strictly earned, and it’s an expensive thing in the Afrikaner culture! Of course, every batch has some bad apples, but you’ll find that everywhere in the world.

2.1 The Business Talk

Following are some Afrikaans business phrases you could find useful in any business setting.

Note that Ek / “I” can be replaced with other pronouns, such as jou (you, plural) / julle (you) / ons (we) / sy (she) / hy (he) / hulle (they).

Het almal ‘n kopie van die agenda?

“Does everyone have a copy of the agenda?”

Wat dink jy hiervan?

“What do you think about this?”

Ek stem saam.

“I agree.”

Ek voel dieselfde.

“I feel the same.”

Jy is heeltemal reg.

“You are entirely correct.”

Jy kan dalk reg wees.

“You may / could / might be right.”

My ervaring is dieselfde.

“My experience is the same.”

Dis nie my ervaring nie.

“That’s not my experience.”

Jammer, maar ek stem nie saam nie.

“Sorry, but I don’t agree.”

Ek stem nie regtig saam nie.

“I don’t really agree.”

Ek’s nie seker of ek saamstem nie.

“I’m not sure that I agree.”

Dis ‘n uitstekende punt.

“That’s an excellent point.”

Hierdie is net my opinie.

“This is only my opinion.”

Hierdie is ‘n belangrike saak.

“This is an important matter.”

Sal jy ‘n kompromie oorweeg?

“Would you consider a compromise?”

Jammer om jou te onderbreek.

“Sorry to interrupt you.”

Mag ek gou onderbreek, asseblief?

“May I interrupt, please?”

Natuurlik, gaan voort.	“Of course, go ahead.”
Combine this phrase with the next one, if preferred.

Wat wil jy sê?

“What do you want to say?”

Verskoon my, as ek net gou eers hierdie punt kan maak?

“Sorry, if I could just finish this point first?”

Dit is ‘n baie goeie voorstel.

“It is a very good suggestion.”

Dis ‘n goeie offer.

“It’s a good offer.”

Hierdie my beste offer.

“This is my best offer.”

Ek voel sterk hieroor.

“I feel strongly about this.”

Ek wil graag hieroor gaan dink, asseblief.

“I would like to think about this, please.”

Dit klink goed vir my!

“That sounds good to me!”

Enige verdere gedagtes of kommentaar?

“Any other thoughts or comments?”

Dalk moet ons ‘n breuk vat?

“Maybe we should take a break?”

Ons het hierdie reeds afgehandel.

“We’ve dealt with this already.”

Is daar nog iets wat ons moet bespreek?

“Is there anything else we need to discuss?”

Stem almal saam?

“Do we all agree?”

2.2 The Management Talk

If you’re a manager, treating subordinates fairly, respectfully, and transparently will score you a lot of points. Following are some handy phrases you can use as a manager (though you could also use any of the phrases from the previous section).

Ek het die verslag moreoggend nodig, asseblief.

“I need the report by tomorrow morning, please.”

Dankie, dit lyk goed.

“Thanks, this looks good.”

Wat stel jy voor?

“What do you suggest?”

Asseblief maak vir ons ‘n afspraak met Meneer De Beer.

“Please make us an appointment with Mr. De Beer.”

Kontak EdCon kantore vir ‘n vergadering volgende week, asseblief.	“Contact EdCon offices for a meeting next week, please.”
Of course, you can replace the business name with one of your choice.

Asseblief kanselleer al my afsprake vir Vrydag.

“Please cancel all my appointments for Friday.”

Sal jy vir ons koffie en tee reël, asseblief?

“Would you organize tea and coffee for us, please?”

Hoe laat begin die vergadering?

“What time does the meeting start?”

Bel vir Martie en vra of ons via Zoom kan ontmoet, asseblief.

“Call Martie and ask if we could meet via Zoom, please.”

Bespreek vir my ‘n vlug Dubai toe, asseblief.

“Book me a flight to Dubai, please.”

Is die “boardroom” voorberei?	“Is the boardroom prepared?”
The official Afrikaans word for “boardroom” is raadskamer, but this is almost completely out of use. As a rule, we just use the English word.

Druk asseblief my notas uit.

“Please print my notes.”

Dankie vir jou harde werk.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Essential Afrikaans Business Vocabulary

• witbord / “whiteboard”
• witbord pen / “whiteboard marker”
• harde kopie / “hard copy”
• voorlegging OR aanbedding / “presentation” (This is a noun, and what you would give to your boss or prospective client in the form of a document or PowerPoint presentation.)
• aanbied / “present”
• grafiek / “chart”
• dagboek / “diary”
• sakeonderneming / “business enterprise”
• handel / “commerce”
• verslag gee / “to report”
• rapporteer aan / “report to”
• adviseur / “adviser”
• aanbeveel / “advise”
• kontrak / “contract”
• ooreenkoms / “agreement”

3. Tips for Afrikaans Business Etiquette

Many business rules in South Africa are similar to those in most Western countries. However, there are still some culturally specific (and often unspoken!) ones that should be observed for optimal effect. Adhering to them could make the difference between a failed or successful meeting, so pay attention!

3.1 Dress and Hygiene

Depending on the nature of your business, we recommend dressing neatly and only semi-casually. 

Men, if you’re in white collar business, like finance, stick to the European dress-style and wear a modern suit. (If you’re going to meet with a person of great seniority, wear a tie. Otherwise, feel free to lose the noose!) 

Ladies, avoid deeply plunging necklines, micro miniskirts, or body-hugging gear. You really don’t want to look like you’re advertising something other than your business or products. No decent Afrikaner businessman respects that! However, there’s no need to be prudish either. Rather, think stylish, business-like, and classy, and apply makeup and perfume sparingly.

That said, if you normally wear traditional gear, such as a thawb and keffiyeh, there’s no need to change into Western-style clothing. We appreciate authenticity and openness over so-called political correctness, especially in business.

Good personal hygiene is important to Afrikaners, though. Smelling like you only bathe once a year, having oily, unkempt hair, and sporting filthy nails will not score you any points. And do brush your teeth before the meeting! Halitosis is never a deal-maker. Overall, it makes a good impression when your appearance shows that you take care of yourself, even if you’re dressed inexpensively. You don’t need to show off; you just need to be presentable by regular Western standards. To Afrikaners, a good appearance is a sign of respect to the person you’re meeting with.

3.2 Being Punctual

Be on time for the meeting, or even better, be five minutes early! Showing respect for another’s time is big for Afrikaans businesspeople. They will be punctual and expect the same of you. In case arriving on time is impossible, a text or call to inform them of the delay will be far more acceptable than making them wait for longer than a few minutes.

However, if they are not on time, and you haven’t received any notification of the delay, you’re very likely either dealing with a “bad apple,” or you’ve lost their respect or trust for some reason. It doesn’t need explanation that neither are good signs! Of course, sometimes faulty technology can be to blame, but the point is that notification of delay is basic Afrikaans business protocol for meetings.

3.3 General In-Meeting Etiquette

If you’re seated when they arrive, stand up (or at least get up halfway from your chair) for a formal handshake greeting. This is a sign of respect, especially upon meeting for the first time. 

If you’re meeting them for the first time, and they remain seated when you arrive, it could be a sign of arrogance or reservations about your business. This is especially true of hardened Afrikaans businesspeople. It’s not necessarily a bad sign, but you may have to read and assess the situation carefully before signing on the dotted line. Yet, as a rule, only bad-*ss gang leaders stay seated when a prospective client or business partner arrives for a meeting!

If you’re hosting the meeting, offer your right hand first for a handshake greeting. Keep your grip firm but not crushing—it’s not a Push Hands competition! If you are the guest, though, it’s better to wait for your Afrikaans client to offer their hand first. Remember to look them straight in the eye with a friendly smile for the duration of the handshake. 

3.4 What to Say and How to Say It

If the person you’re meeting for the first time has a military or professional title, like General, Doctor, or Professor, don’t be shy to use this (together with their surname) until they invite you to do otherwise.

Over-familiarity is never cool, especially in the beginning of your business partnership.

It’s best to address people much older or senior-in-rank as Meneer (“Mister”), Mevrou (“Mrs.”), or Mejuffrou (“Miss”) when you first meet them, especially at a formal event. Even if they’re being introduced to you by their first names, wait for them to give you permission to address them informally. This is just good manners and a sign that you respect their seniority.

And last but not least, gratitude is a wonderful attitude! Get the low-down on How to Say Thank You in Afrikaans in different contexts.

4. Why AfrikaansPod101 Can Really Boost Your Business!

We hope you learned a lot from our article about how to conduct business in Afrikaans, and that you found our collection of Afrikaans business phrases helpful. Do you have any questions? Let us have them in the comments below!

At AfrikaansPod101, we can help you understand Afrikaans easily with our hundreds of recorded videos, themed vocabulary lists, and much more. Speak like a native in no time!

Also be sure to arm yourself with the Afrikaans Key Phrase List and the Afrikaans Core 100 Word List to make a superb impression at your business meetings. Approach Afrikaans businesses with confidence and ease—you got this!