German in Zambia: "I have never heard of nursing homes here"

"I've been living in Zambia for more than 35 years and have a 4000 square meter plot in the middle of the capital, Lusaka, with a wild Miombo forest growing in the garden, and next to our house where I live with my wife and two children , I had five more houses built, a real little village!

Here live our tenants. They come from India, Israel, the USA, Namibia and Zambia. Everyone uses the swimming pool and celebrate their birthdays in our straw hut. I like this community, and the rental income is of course important for my retirement. I can not get a pension from Germany.

In Zambia there is no state pension for everyone. Such a hedge is just beginning to develop. When people stop working, many of them move back to the countryside. The extended family usually looks after them, their children, but also all other relatives. I have never heard of retirement homes here.

Although I am a pensioner, but not yet retired. Eight hours a week I teach economics students in empirical social research. In English. This is very interesting. In addition, from time to time I take on smaller assignments as a management consultant, as I did the other day for the Jesuit school where my son was. I started as a development policy consultant.

I have worked in almost every industry

I studied geology and sociology and was a business consultant when I came to Zambia. My then wife got a job at a political foundation, I went with her - and then stayed. At first I advised development policy institutions, later I mainly had Zambian clients. I've worked in almost every industry: agriculture, tourism, mines, colleges and the media. For example, I was also a logistics manager in Kafue National Park and I reorganized the anti-corruption authority.

When you look into the accounts of a company or authority, you learn a lot about a country. My impression: In Zambia, the market economy has prevailed over the years, after the system in my early days was still rather socialist, but still many Zambian problems go differently than German.

We often act according to the logic that our actions have consequences: if I do this, it follows. For me it is also completely clear: You can not spend more money than you take. But here people often hope that there is still money coming from somewhere.

One tries to avoid conflicts

I also experience that the people of Zambia are much more considerate of each other than in Germany. One tries to avoid conflicts. A problem is not addressed directly, but people work longer on the right moment - and then address it. Maybe someone does not even present his request, but rather sends someone else, if it is a serious matter. Then it is easier for the party to reject the request.

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Overall, the people of Zambia are very peaceful and very proud of it. There were no major conflicts here, unlike many other African countries. Many Zambians are tolerant. When I'm sitting in the sidewalk café, fully-veiled Muslim women pass by as well as women in hot pants. This does not stir anyone here. I like that!

Of course, there are also big social differences here. Lusaka is a chaotic city that is growing fast. Today this is a modern metropolis. I witnessed the upswing. There is a new city center with many skyscrapers. There, meanwhile, all streets are paved.

'This is the Mzungu Prize, right?'

I live with my family in a quiet, middle-class neighborhood. But all around there are so-called compounds, settlements of poorer people. They live together in the densest space, but still quite peaceful. If I feel like real African life, I go there. The next compound is three kilometers on foot. As I meet with acquaintances for a beer in a street pub. That's where African life pulsates.

As a white man I almost always have to pay more than the locals. I can speak one of the national languages, Nyanja, but that does not help with price negotiations. The sellers see me, and the price is tripled. Of course, I try to beat the price down, but it always stays higher than the others. I do not want to be stingy and then say with a grin: 'This is the Mzungu Prize, right?'

Mzungu is a name for Europeans in Zambia. The fact that a white man has to pay more, people do not find unfair. If you have more money, you have to pay more. This is a very different way of thinking than the one we are used to.

It is important to know the rules of courtesy

In the relationship between blacks and whites I observe that there are often misunderstandings due to different cultural customs. On the Zambian side, this can lead to reservations about certain population groups. But this is rarely reflected in aggressive or arrogant, but rather very careful and polite behavior of the Zambians in dealing with strangers.

If you are not arrogant or too ignorant yourself, it quickly turns into friendliness and serenity. And reservations are given up when the Zambian partner assumes that a Mzungu simply does not know the Zambian rules of courtesy, for example, how to greet Zambian or why participating in a funeral of a co-worker or neighbor or dancing together is important ,

However, I have experienced that knowing these rules is vital: if you show that you know what you are, you will immediately be praised and involved.

Please send a team of experts to Germany

Overall, skin color and origin in Zambia do not play a big role in dealing with each other, despite all the cultural differences between the many different population groups in this country. Just since I live here, there have been periods of immigration time and again: White farmers from Zimbabwe and South Africa as well as civil war refugees from the Congo and Rwanda or more and more people from China.

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Apparently, the Zambians have become integration experts - and very good observers. I once had tears of laughter when a Zambian secretary of state parodied foreign experts from various development aid organizations very aptly at a moist, cheerful reception. After that I thought: Maybe Germany could ask the Zambian government with its integration problems to send a team of experts.

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