Many South African businesspeople make the following common mistakes regarding US business English. I always enjoy seeing the reaction of Americans when a South African brags about their company’s turnover!
| South African term | American equivalent | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover | Revenue or Sales | Turnover in the US refers to employee attrition (not a good thing :-)). |
| Surname | Last name | Family name |
| Name | First name | In the US most people have a middle name. So first name to distinguish from middle name. |
| Loan | Note | A note is a loan agreement. |
| CA or Accountant | CPA | Certified Public Accountant. |
| Managing Director (MD) | CEO or President | Better to refer to yourself as CEO if you are an MD in SA. |
| Director | Board Member | A director is usually a mid-level manager in the US. |
| Share Scheme | Share Plan | In the US a scheme usually refers to something unsavory (even illegal). |
| Retrench | RIF (reduction in force) or Lay off | Lay offs are very common in the US as most states are work-at-wil states. |
| Diary (Schedule) | Calendar | In the US a diary is a ladies' journal. You would typically say: "can we put something on the calendar". |
| Post | In the US: "I'll put the check in the mail". |
