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This study examines whether knowledge causes economic growth in Africa's two leading economies, Nigeria and South Africa. Using the Vector Autoregressive and Vector Error Correction approaches, the findings show cointegration among the variables. The speed of convergence of the variables to their long‐term mean values is relatively higher for South Africa than for Nigeria. In the short run, it is observed that knowledge unidirectionally Granger causes growth for Nigeria, whereas bidirectional causality is observed for South Africa. The higher correlation between knowledge and growth in South Africa reflects the success of greater investment in education. Nigeria must increase investment in education and modern infrastructure to converge to South Africa's growth trajectory. Moreover, for Nigeria, (1) knowledge unidirectionally Granger cause growth, (2) evidence of bidirectional causality flow is apparent between trade, the economic incentive, and growth, and (3) health unidirectionally Granger cause knowledge. As for South Africa (1) there is bidirectional causality between knowledge, trade openness, and growth, whereas investment and economic incentive, unidirectionally Granger causes growth, (2) investment, trade openness, and health unidirectionally Granger cause knowledge, and (3) economic incentive unidirectionally Granger cause trade openness. In conclusion, this paper argues that a transformed education system can provide the knowledge base essential for promoting and sustaining economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communication issues occur when foreign doctors from different cultural backgrounds have to treat local patients and attempt to establish rapport across cultures in order to diagnose correctly and advise treatment in a way that is acceptable to the patient. This paper reports on strategies used by Iranian and Nigerian medical doctors in public hospitals in Limpopo, South Africa, to establish and manage rapport in the opening sequence of their first meetings with local rural patients. The study used a conversation analysis method to examine the interaction of Iranian and Nigerian doctors with local South African patients against the background of Spencer‐Oatey's rapport management framework and cultural maxims of greetings and forms of address in the two countries. Recordings of opening sequences of consultations were examined to provide an understanding of the doctors' linguistic behavior. Consultations conducted by six doctors were recorded, transcribed, translated where necessary and analyzed against the background of the Rapport Management Framework. All the Iranian doctors were found to adopt different strategies from the Nigerian doctors even though both countries are classified as high‐context cultures and would be expected to use similar communication strategies. The findings have implications for the induction of foreign medical doctors in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]