You know you are in Africa when you advise operations that you are starting engines and they give you the go ahead. Then you call the tower to get start clearance….which you get, so all is good. Then the ground handler signals for you to standby and you will be number 2 to start after another aircraft which has only just started loading pax. Then you are told by operations to standby on the start. A minute later you are screamed at by the tower because you have not started. Then you are given the go ahead by the ground personal {different one this time}. Then the tower tells you to standby start. Operations call you and say you can go. While you are discussing this with tower you get called by operations blasting you for not starting and accusing you of holding everything up and blocking the apron. Eventually the tower gives you start ……again. You just keep quiet and start your plane up and get the hell out of there ASAP.