What You Need to Know About Tanzanian Culture Before Your Safari
If you’ve never visited Africa, you should.
Referred to as the festival continent of the world, Africa is rich and diverse in its culture, landscapes, wildlife, and history. From the north to the south you’ll experience everything from desert to beach towns to dense jungles and mountains.
With all that Africa has to offer, it can be hard to choose which country to explore first.
Our suggestion? Tanzania.
Located in East Africa, Tanzania has a little bit of everything you could want or need, starting with the colorful Tanzanian culture.
Keep reading to learn more about the next trip on your bucket list.
Tanzanian Culture and Cultural Facts
Tanzania is a well-known safari destination in Africa. Visitors come from all over the world to witness its abundance of wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and its wealth of culture and customs.
Did you know that there are 120 plus tribes that live among the Tanzanian people? Each one with distinct and fascinating attributes. But if there’s one thing they all have in common, it’s the fact that they foster a strong sense of community, family, and religion.
The local population is well known for their politeness and friendliness towards outsiders as well as a strong sense of pride among themselves. Of course, with such a tremendous mixture of people and customs, it can be quite confusing to visitors in terms of the do’s and don’ts.
To help keep you in the know of proper social etiquette with Tanzania people, we’ve created a list of cultural facts to take with you.
Common Greetings
Upon meeting the locals, handshakes are a must — for each and every individual. Whether you’re introduced to 10 people or 100 people, it is custom to shake hands with each individual. Take your time during this process, otherwise, you’ll come off as rude if you rush through your greetings.
It is important that upon introductions and greetings you shake hands with the elderly first, making your way down the line to the youngest.
It is also crucial that you only shake with your right hand and never the left. As you learn about Tanzanian culture you’ll learn that you do just about everything with your right hands and your right hand only.
It is very normal for people to hold hands during a conversation. If you receive a gift, do so with both hands or with your left hand touching your right elbow.
Keep Modest, It’s Important
Dressing and behaving modestly in Tanzania is an incredibly important aspect of Tanzanian culture. It’s a good idea to observe Tanzanian clothing before packing for your trip.
Wearing revealing clothing and excessive PDA (public displays of affection), especially on the coast is widely disrespectful. This is due to the fact that Tanzania religions are mainly separated into Christianity and Muslim.
Religion is a very important aspect of their culture and customs. Those who attend church do so with their entire families and they dress for the occasion. Of course, their other religions practiced, including ancient ancestral religions.
To avoid disrespecting anyone of any religion in the East African country, save any revealing clothing and affectionate behavior for your hotel room and resort.
Keep Your Left Hand to Yourself
As mentioned before, your right and left hands have separate duties in Tanzanian culture. It is custom to keep your left hand to yourself at all times.
The cultural belief is that the right hand is cleaner than the left hand. This is because of all of the meals and greetings, etc., are done with the right hand. The left hand is considered dirty. This is due to the fact that traditionally, the left hand is used for bathroom activities.
While visiting in Tanzania, make sure to keep your left hand to yourself, especially if you are a guest in someone’s home.
Do Not Sniff Your Food
Don’t waft it either. While many of us enjoy taking in the aromas of a hot meal, it is highly frowned upon in Tanzania. That’s because sniffing food is traditionally viewed as a sign of distaste.
Food is only smelled in Tanzania when there is something wrong with it or if it is thought to be rotten. So, if you sniff your food, it will be greatly insulting to the chef and culture.
Ask Before You Photograph
Many Tanzanian people are happy with having their photo taken because they enjoy showing off their traditional clothing and culture. However, there are some ethnic groups who believe that the flash of a camera will steal a piece of their soul.
To avoid any permanent trauma to the locals, it is best to be respectful by asking their permissions before snapping a photo.
Hospitality 101
Tanzanian people are warm and friendly. They also rarely get angry.
The phrase Hakuna Matata made popular by Disney’s The Lion King is an actual Swahili phrase that has to do with time in Tanzania. These are people who do not rush, which is something you may have to get used to.
It also is not uncommon for a Tanzanian to invite you to their home for dinner. Understand that no matter how grand the gesture, you do not have to say yes, especially if it makes you feel uneasy. Tanzanians may be kind people, but that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down completely.
The best thing to do in this situation is to remain polite and respectfully decline by saying “another time.” Of course, if you do agree to be their guest bring the knowledge of cultural etiquette you’ve just learned.
Tanzania Is Waiting For You
There’s no better time than now to visit Tanzania. The Tanzanian culture, people, customs, and scenery will have you reeling with excitement and gratitude long after your trip is over.
For more information on Tanzania and the popular Tanzanian safaris, you can visit us here.