Question for South Africans (I’m American that hosted guest from SA) would like advice
Hi South Africans and Americans familiar with South African people and culture, hoping to get some understanding and maybe a point of view on what is normal in SA when visiting someone else and staying as guests.
Story time: We traveled to South Africa in 2018 and met a business man and his co worker and we were friendly he showed us around an afternoon. We told them look us up if you’re in the US. The did come visit us and this is now their second trip here. During the years between we do not converse normally and are not really in contact. However when they have come to visit (they reach out and ask to come stay with us) we feel their behavior has been VERY entitled and borderline rude and I’m wondering if this is maybe normal SA guest behavior and maybe as an American who usually has American house guest I am not used to it.
Examples: The Male business person makes the female assistant serve him ALL the time, like get up to get him juice, make him toast etc. if she isn’t available he has no problem say “XYZ person, can you get me a glass of juice” even though we had said please help yourself here are the cups. He doesn’t help clear the table, set the table do dishes nothing.
When they visit they expect us to pay for everything. We cook meals (and he is very picky and only wants certain things) they have never offered to pay for a few groceries or replace what they have eaten never once offered to take us to a dinner or lunch to repay our kindness. We are their free Uber to everything, and have even picked up and dropped off at the airport which are 1hour -2 hours away.
He is wealthy by South African standards and has a business. While in the US they come they spend hundreds at stores (that we drive them to and from daily to do this shopping) to bring back clothing for themselves and family so it isn’t like they are SUPER impoverished or something.
Needless to stay the next time there is a request to “come visit” we will be declining.
I don’t want to blame this on cultural misunderstanding but I am just so surprised to have a guest be so demanding and unhelpful on a visit to my home and treat me like I work for him while using my home, eating my food and expecting me to drive them in my car using my gas for their weeks stay.
He says thank you but very short things, when leaving a “thank you for the hospitality” was all that was said.
How would hosting a guest in South Africa go and what would be the expectation of a host?