“He Passed the Vibe Check”: Cyril Ramaphosa Responds to Student Greeting Him As Cupcake, SA Amused

• A student couldn't hold back her excitement and greeted President Cyril Ramaphosa by his nickname
• The wholesome moment shared on TikTok happened while he was enjoying a round of golf and was caught on camera
• Social media users cracked up online, with many shocked that he responded to the name and found it cool

Mzansi doesn't miss an opportunity for a funny moment, even with the president. One young lady casually greeted the county's president as if she were greeting a friend, and the moment went viral online.

The lady, TikTok user @tallulah_crosy, had social media users rolling with laughter when she shared a video of the president greeting her back after she called him Cupcake.

The student bumps into the president

In the video, President Cyril is seen driving his golf cart with a person seated next to him. The student notices him just before he passes and greets him with the cheeky nickname "Cupcake", and he greets her back and waves.

In the video caption, she admitted that she was supposed to be studying but saw the president playing golf and went to greet him.

Watch the TikTok video below:

How did “Cupcake” become Ramaphosa’s cheeky nickname?

In early 2017, during his bid for ANC leadership, a private email exchange was leaked in which Cyril Ramaphosa affectionately referred to his alleged mistress as “Cupcake.”

This endearing term caught the public’s attention and quickly morphed into a playful nickname for the president. Despite attempts to keep his private life separate from politics, South Africans embraced “Cupcake” as a funny nickname. Recently, it was revived when a praise poet, Inako Mateza, addressed him by that name at the 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA).

What started as a sweet slip-up became political banter and social media gold, showing that even presidents have charming quirks. Over time, “Cupcake” has come to represent the unexpected human side of a high-profile leader, reminding audiences that even presidents have down-to-earth sides.

Mzansi loses it in the comments

The clip gained 1.4M views, 224K likes, and over 2.5K comments from social media users who were amused. Many praised the president for his laid-back personality and called him cool. Some were in deep discussion about where the name came from, while others compared his humility to artists who intentionally ignore their fans.

User @LUNESH_ZN said:

"Cupcake runs a country, but he still has time to greet his people. Mara Scott Maphuma has 17 songs, now he doesn’t have time to greet his fans 😂."

User @Matt_Mokubung shared:

"We are so privileged to be South Africans because there is no other African country where you can call the present Cupcake to his face without jail time."

User @JOBES SA added:

"Cupcake is enjoying life he is even driving himself, time to unwind winde nyana. I can't imagine a life of being driven around and having bodyguards all around it must be tiring."

User @Jaclyn 🫶🇿🇦 commented:

"I just laughed out loud at this, and explained it to my husband. He didn’t know we call him Cupcake.🧐😩Then he asked me why. So then I googled. 😩😩😩 Cyril called a previous mistress Cupcake?"

User @Joy Mpho Nelson said:

"He really knows this name 🤭."

User @Michael Bless added:

"Scott Maphuma should learn from Cupcake, a simple hello with a smile 😂😂😂. He passed the vibe check."

User @bodyandmindmagic mentioned:

"In some countries, this is a punishable offence. 😭😭😭 I love my country. 🤣🤣🤣"

User @User127 typed:

"I love that he doesn’t fight his persona as Cupcake because he knows if he did, we’d double down.😂"

3 Briefly News articles about students

• A student bought a homeless man a fleece blanket and socks, worried that he was catching a cold in his corner, and Mzansi was deeply touched.
• A young mom attended lectures with her baby after she could not find a sitter, and social media users were proud of her.
• A first-year student shared a video of a lecture hall full of students with laptops and admitted that she was feeling the pressure.

Hilary Sekgota, human interest head of desk at Briefly News, contributed to this article.

Source: Briefly News