“This Is Brilliant”: SA Amused by ‘The Great Tsek’ After Afrikaners Flee to America

• A young South African was floored after learning about The Great Tsek, which would become a turning point in the country’s history 
• The people of Mzansi created funny videos online about the white South Africans who left the country to go live in America as refugees 
• Social media users shared their thoughts on The Great Tsek and discussed it further in the comments 

A young South African doctor could not deal with how funny the people were about the Afrikaners who left the country.

The young man hopped on TikTok to applaud the excellent punchlines and effective scenarios.

Mzansi talks about The Great Tsek

Just like many historical events, a lot of people were present to experience those moments in real life. Recently, South Africans realised that they were living in a time that would one day become a turning point in the country’s history.

Earlier in the year, American President Donald Trump and his wingman, Elon Musk, accused the black-led South African government of mistreating white people. Trump then invited Afrikaners over to America as refugees.

South Africans found the entire concept silly from the beginning and started calling it The Great Tsek. Most people call the 49 Afrikaners who left this week, the “Voetsekers”.

The young doctor from Cape Town, Keaton Harris, was floored by the label and said:

“I absolutely love South Africa.”

The TikTok clip posted on 13 May has gone viral with over 1,5 million views and 144,000 likes.

Watch the TikTok video below:

Mzansi laughs about The Great Tsek

South Africans explained to Doctor Harris that Mzansi has always been funny and creative. Social media users discussed The Great Tsek further:

@FortuNhlanhla pointed out:

“Benoni has no car guards now.”

@Ben Alex708 giggled:

“America is getting car guards from Brakpan instead of real farmers.”

@Oscar Owenson was amazed:

“Wait, I thought The Great Tsek was an Afrikaner migration, as in an existing thing. Are you implying that it was derived from Voetsek?”

@Dyl🇿🇦 shared:

“I am Afrikaans, but this is brilliant.”

@Basi_Masolo wrote:

“I'm waiting for them to refuse to speak English that side.”

@TK commented:

“I will never understand why people are willing to leave this beautiful nation because they chose to racialise our struggles. We are all victims of crime, corruption and unemployment. Black, white, coloured, Indian, we are in this together.”

@FABIIIAN explained his discovery:

“I saw a road sign that had Benoni, Brakpan and Boksburg on it in different directions. Someone called it the ‘Boer-muda triangle’.”

@TopG decided:

“SA has the best humour in the world.”

@We Will Not Be Bullied🇿🇦 suggested:

“We need to build the Voortsekker monument in Pretoria.”

@KHADSegole✝️ 🇿🇦 added:

"Someone said if America thought Karen was bad, wait till they meet Karien with the wedge flip flops. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣"

Voetsekkers controversy explained

The term "voetsekkers" is a slang expression used by netizens to refer to Afrikaner refugees, especially those recently resettled in the United States. Voetsekkers is a blend of two words: "voetsek" and "Voortrekkers." Voetsek is an Afrikaans slang word meaning go away or get lost. "Voortrekkers" refers to the pioneering Dutch-descended Afrikaner settlers in South Africa during the 1830s and 1840s, who embarked on the Great Trek to escape British rule. The term has gained traction online, especially on platforms like TikTok, where users have dubbed the resettlement of Afrikaners as "The Great 'Tsek of 2025."

The controversy stems from the American government's decision to grant refugee status to a group of white South Africans under President Donald Trump's administration. The administration claims these individuals face persecution in South Africa, citing alleged violence against white farmers. However, the South African government dispute these claims, arguing that Afrikaners remain among the country's most economically privileged groups.

3 Must-read Afrikaner stories by Briefly News

• South Africans said their final goodbyes to the Afrikaners who jetted off to America to become refugees.
• South Africans were warmed by how an African child bonded with a random Afrikaner woman after she ditched her family at a Mzansi restaurant.
• Mzansi shared their thoughts about Afrikaners gearing up for American President Donald Trump's offer and becoming refugees in the United States.

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

Source: Briefly News