South Sudan: What to Know Before You Go

Cuisine Highlights

• Wal-wal, a thick stew of dried meat, groundnuts, and vegetables eaten over ugali (maize porridge); the most common everyday meal across South Sudan
• Kisra, sorghum flatbread fermented into a thin, sour crepe-like bread; a staple in Nile Valley communities of South Sudan and Sudan
• Asida, smooth wheat or sorghum porridge topped with butter and a meat or vegetable stew; eaten with hands at communal meals
• Nyama choma, grilled goat or beef; East African grilled meat tradition; eaten at celebrations and important gatherings

Traditions & Festivals

• Independence Day (July 9), South Sudan became the world's newest country in 2011; Independence Day is celebrated with enormous national pride despite ongoing challenges
• Dinka cattle culture, the Dinka, South Sudan's largest ethnic group, have an extraordinary relationship with cattle; cattle are currency, social capital, and spiritual focal points
• Nuer initiation scars (gaar), young Nuer men receive six horizontal forehead scars as part of initiation into adulthood; a symbol of identity, courage, and cultural belonging

Language & Communication

English and Arabic are the official languages. Dinka, Nuer, Bari, and hundreds of other languages are spoken.

Key phrase: "Hello" in English is the most universal opener. South Sudan has experienced severe civil conflict since independence, most Western governments advise against all travel.

The country has extraordinary natural resources and cultural wealth, including the world's largest land mammal migration in the Sudd, but is currently inaccessible to safe tourism without exceptional local support.

Cultural Etiquette

• The independence struggle and ongoing conflict are points of deep emotion, approach with sensitivity and listen rather than offering opinions
• Cattle are sacred in Dinka and Nuer culture, treat cattle and cattle discussions with the same respect you would give to sacred objects
• South Sudanese people are extraordinarily resilient and welcoming despite enormous hardship, engage with genuine respect and humility
• Security requires constant local guidance, never travel without verified local contacts and up-to-date intelligence on route conditions