Day 179, Is everything really negotiable in Africa? That is not meant to be a disparaging remark but rather an appreciation that there is usually a deal to be done. With my background I’ve always been comfortable looking for a deal, but here bargaining has taken on a new level.
During my time here there have been numerous occasions where I tried to haggle my way to a better deal. Usually it is at the little tourist markets when I’ve tried to buy a curio or other memento of my time in South Africa. The store owners are however canny folk who have been doing this a lot longer than I have. They are brilliant at making me think I’ve got a great deal when really I’ve negotiated my way to a price they are happy with.
Negotiating is of course part of my job too. As a doctor anywhere in the world half the battle is bargaining with the patient to get them to accept treatment. Once we manage that we have to be equally persuasive with lab staff to get results, radiographers to get xrays, and referral centres to accept care. This is not even considering the amount of finagling needed to get holidays.
Negotiations are not always a pleasant repartee but can be decidedly distasteful affairs. Recently I was stopped by the traffic police for the incredibly innocuous offence of the backseat passenger not wearing a seatbelt. Being an offence I tried to talk my way out of a ticket but soon realised the real negotiation would be over how much of a "roadside fine" the policeman was after. He had no interest in issuing me a ticket but I managed to ensure that his fine wasn’t overly taxing.
With any negotiation it always helps to have bargaining chip of some form, in our little corner of the country, working at Mseleni Hospital is often good currency. Not only have we managed to organise for discount rates at many of the nearby game parks and entertainment facilities but this weekend I even used it at the Mozambique border. The visa fees for foreigners have become somewhat exorbitant and given that I was only there for two nights I felt their price did not represent good value. I was successfully able to negotiate a special rate with an unashamed reminder of the good work done by the hospital.
Haggling is a cultural norm here and some would suggest it is simply individualistic with everyone out to gain any sort of advantage in face of the harsh reality of life. But to me, the willingness to recognise the contribution of the hospital’s work is synonymous to people here valuing not just money, but all manner of things. At the end of the day a good bargain is about making sure all parties come away happy with the result, and ultimately what can be more communal than that?
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