Essential advice to US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III following his undiplomatic remarks. South Africa is a noisy, resilient democracy whose defining covenant is its Constitution. South Africa's Constitution and courts are non-negotiable, and must be respected. Respect that, and you will find South Africans warm, generous and endlessly welcoming.

Barely two weeks into the job, the United States Ambassador to South Africa, Leo Brent Bozell III, seems determined to join a rather awkward club: American diplomats who have recently been reprimanded by their host nations.

The trend has not gone unnoticed. In France, the US ambassador Charles Kushner found himself rebuked and blocked after remarks widely interpreted as meddling in French politics. In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk (yes that is his name) and members of Parliament also publicly chastised US Ambassador Tom Rose for insults and threats unbecoming of a diplomat. Ambassador Bozell has clearly decided not to be left behind.

Bozell declared that he does not care about South Africa's courts - a statement that triggered the sort of eyebrow-raise normally reserved for visiting tourists who ask whether lions roam the streets of Pretoria.

As a South African living and working in his country, I thought a spirit of international cooperation is called for. Here is a short survival guide to help the US ambassador navigate the sometimes-unfamiliar terrain of South African political culture.

First Tip: South Africans do not respond well to the "baas" tone.

There is a cultural nuance the ambassador should understand. South Africans...