Do south africans shake hands when they meet?

Answer 1

There are as many as there are school children.

The common handshake is the one where each person holds the other's hand and shakes it up and down once or twice.

----------- Another Answer

There is the firm handshake, where you grip each others hand in a full firm clasp and do a very small pumping action, and then let go after a brief second. If you are close friends or relatives, hold for longer. Typically used-car-salesmen and Evangelists hold on for way too long in an attempt to emotionally bond with you.

This is a 'white' cultural handshake.

And there is the light handshake, where you touch and hold with no more than half a hand for a quick and very light light squeeze. If you are not close, take even less of the other persons hand and squeeze less. This is a 'black' cultural handshake.

Then there is the 'comrades' handshake. Very common in political circles. Start with a firm, full hand handclasp, swop once to an inverted handclasp, back to firm handclasp. All done very quickly. This one seems to be dying out and is being replaced by the 'big hug', in French or Russian style.

And the 'youth' handshakes. These are complex hand-dances with thumb pushes and slaps and twists. Considered 'cool' and done by people for whom 'cool' is important. If you don't know one, you are nobody - Sorry.

The hard part is when you have inter-cultural meetings. Then there is a lot of skill in knowing which handshake to do to who. And of course the other person is also guessing to which handshake to do to you. It all ends up like a Paper-Rock-Scissors game. You win if you both guess the same handshake - otherwise you look a bit lame.

Answer 2

http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=NDxyeOX-qmo

First a normal grip, then a vertical grip and a normal grip again. You're supposed to shake people's hands with your right hand. If not, it is taken as BAD manners!

Answer 3

yes

stronger handshakes are better