“I Just Go to the Shop”: Xhosa Gent Stunned by Nara Smith’s DIY Coca Cola Recipe

• A Cape Town content creator shared his hilarious reaction to Nara Smith's homemade Coca-Cola tutorial
• The viral Facebook video attracted over 175,000 views as the Xhosa gent provided running commentary on Smith's recipe
• South Africans flooded the comments section with laughter, agreeing with his practical approach and calling the homemade version "black diabetes in a jar"
• Briefly News spoke to medical expert Jayshri Ranagasamy regarding whether it is healthier or a waste of time to make food from scratch

A Cape Town digital creator left South Africans in stitches after sharing his honest reaction to influencer Nara Smith's homemade Coca-Cola recipe. The content creator shared a split-screen video on 7 September 2025, showing himself reacting to Smith's elaborate DIY cola tutorial that involves making everything from scratch.

In the viral Facebook post, the Xhosa gent provided running commentary as he watched Smith's step-by-step process. His genuine confusion and practical observations had viewers rolling with laughter as he questioned the need to make cola at home when it's readily available at any shop.

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The video quickly gained traction, attracting over 175,000 views and more than 3,500 reactions. Hundreds of comments poured in from South Africans who related to his straightforward approach to the situation.

Throughout the reaction video, the Cape Town man expressed his bewilderment at the complex recipe. He watched as Smith made caramel sugar by combining water and sugar until it reached the hard crack stage, then cooled and broke it up. She then zested oranges, lemons, and limes before grinding multiple spices, including nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, coriander seeds, rose herbs, lime leaves, and even caramel fine powder.

The process continued with Smith combining water, different sugars, the citrus zest, citric and malic acid, and the homemade caramel sugar in a water bath for an hour and a half before straining it and chilling it in the fridge. His commentary included observations about the sugar content and questioning why someone would spend hours making something that takes minutes to buy.

Speaking to Briefly News writer, Nerissa Naidoo, medical expert Jayshri Rangasamy discussed whether it is healthier or a waste of time to make food from scratch. She said:

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"In today's world, cooking food from scratch is generally considered healthier because it allows for better control over ingredients, portion sizes, and preparation methods, helping to reduce intake of processed additives, excess sugar, and sodium. However, it's not always more nutritious or safer than industrially prepared foods, which often benefit from strict hygiene and standardised cooking processes. Ultimately, a balanced approach, choosing whole, minimally processed ingredients and being mindful of how food is prepared, will impact the nutritional value of the meal, whether meals are homemade or store-bought."

The content creator's honest reactions resonated with many viewers who shared his practical mindset about everyday conveniences.

SA reacts to honest commentary

@roletaliebelo gushed:

"Coke Drink O' Pop 😂😂😂"

@hermajesticswazi joked:

"Naaaaaaraaaa, no honey, no!"

@chanelauriel warned:

"This one is black diabetes in a jar😳"

@siyamthandakwali complained:

"My problem is the dishes after the whole coke Drink 'o Pop is done😭😭"

@shannaleighross agreed:

"No thank you, my friend makes it at corner shop."

@levalbeaunoir observed:

"That look on the guys face after he tasted it said everything."

@thefabseeddesigns added:

"Lol, coke has more sugar than you think, way more sugar 🤣"

Who is Nara Smith

According to Wikipedia, Nara Smith is a South African-German model and influencer who became famous for her elaborate cooking videos. Born in Bloemfontein, she moved to Germany as an infant and later settled in the United States. Smith gained over 9 million TikTok followers by creating "tradwife" content where she makes everything from scratch while wearing formal clothing.

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The content creator behind the reaction video is Facebook user @nativEcks, a digital creator from Cape Town who originally hails from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape. He's become well-known for his funny commentary on different viral videos, often providing the kind of honest reactions that many South Africans can relate to.

View the Facebook reel below:

Other stories of impressive DIY projects

• Briefly News recently reported on a furniture maker from Maseru who used her new Ryobi drill to create a stunning custom coffee table, but the materials she used left everyone asking questions.
• A young man from Paris impressed South Africans with his bathroom DIY project using just a plastic bag, and his creative solution had people amazed at how simple it actually was.
• An organic farmer from KZN created her own peanut butter and chilli sauce brand, but the secret ingredient in her recipe had customers placing orders immediately.

Source: Briefly News