“Is It the Same?”: American Confused by Mzansi Lingo Shares Hilarious Questions About South Africa

• An American woman living in Cape Town shared a viral video asking locals to explain confusing South African words and phrases that left her scratching her head
• The content creator's questions about everything from "robots" to braai sauce sparked thousands of reactions as South Africans rushed to educate her
• Mzansi viewers found her confusion hilarious and responded with their own examples of uniquely South African names for everyday items

An American woman who moved to Cape Town has left South Africans in stitches after sharing her confusion about local lingo that makes no sense to her foreign ears. Content creator @iamkourtneyjade, who shows her life in South Africa with her husband and children, posted a video on 22 September 2025 that racked up over 38,000 views as she fired off a series of questions about South African terminology.

The American expat's video struck a chord with locals as she rattled off her confusion about everyday South African terms. Her questions showed her bewilderment as she tried to make sense of the linguistic differences between her home country and her new life in the Mother City.

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In the viral clip, the Cape Town resident shared her genuine confusion about South African terminology that left her scratching her head. She questioned why locals call petrol stations "garages" and wondered what South Africans actually call their car storage spaces. The traffic light situation confused her as she asked locals why they call traffic lights "robots" and what they call actual robots.

Her food-related questions had South Africans cracking up as she wondered about braai sauce and whether it exists like barbecue sauce does in America. She also asked about the relationship between biltong and jerky, showing how certain foods and their names can create confusion for newcomers to the country.

SA reacts to the Americans' confusion

@tatav500 educated:

"Please take note that Britain and the English colonised us; we speak British, not USA English."

@RealDStaxx fired back:

"Since we're doing this 😅 Why do y'all call a tank top a 'Wife beater' 🎽"

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@QueQ welcomed her:

"🤣🤣Welcome to SA, toothpaste is Colgate, butter is Rama."

@NonameBatswana corrected:

"Jerky does not even come close to biltong. 😂😂😂"

@seisomosala questioned:

"Why do you need a sauce for a braai?"

@MamaweVocalist advised:

"Yes sis, we do have Braai sauce, phela this is SA... and for beautiful breathtaking resorts try Mpumalanga Province, you won't regret."

@Uyanda added:

"Every bubble gum is Chappies and every brand of corn flakes is Kellogg's, don't ask us why."

@VestaMatseka shared:

"All plastic bags are called Checkers."

Where language differences come from

According to Wikipedia, jargon is specialised language used in certain fields or activities that people outside those areas may not easily understand. This is why Americans or foreigners in South Africa, like TikTok user @iamkourtneyjade, often find local terms confusing, even though they seem normal to residents.

The mix-up comes from South Africa’s colonial past and its use of British English, which created unique local words that differ from American English. For example, South Africans say “robot” for traffic lights, from “robotic traffic controllers,” and “garage” for petrol station, following British naming rather than American terms.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other Americans in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on an American man who moved to Joburg with his wife and shared how they live comfortably on a R42,000 monthly budget, but the amount they save on housing compared to America shocked viewers.
• An American tourist's reaction to trying traditional South African food in Soweto went viral, but what he said about one particular dish had locals both laughing and feeling proud of their cuisine.
• An American-South African couple shared their daily language mix-ups on their stoep, but the word that caused their biggest argument will have you questioning your own vocabulary.

Source: Briefly News