I was not originally going to write a post about Africa but I figured out that I was missing a whole continent worth of countries. There aren't many people from Africa on my college campus. However, I have a professor from Kenya who was able to describe some of the greeting customs.
Background Information: Kenya is a country in Southeast Asia that is located along the coast of the Indian Ocean. Their government is a presidential republic and the country was a British colony until 1963.
Since Kenya used to be under British rule, the greetings are highly influenced by the Western ways, especially in the Metropolitan areas. To greet, Kenyans always use a handshake. It is considered rude to only use verbal greetings. When you are familiar with someone, a hug is acceptable. Double cheek kisses are rare. Public intimacy, even a small kiss, is considered to be rude and is not accepted.
Personal space depends on the living situations. Obviously, when you live in a city, there is much less distance you can put between yourself and another person. However, when being conscious of personal space, to Kenyans, distance and space is equal to respect.
Video:
Here is a video to show how people greet in South Africa.
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