“There’s Power?”: American’s Reaction to Seeing Buildings in SA Has Mzansi Questioning US Education

• An American streamer named Cash was shocked to see Cape Town had buildings, towers and power
• A South African content creator reacted to the clip, pointing out how Western media never show modern African cities
• The video went viral with over 300,000 views and 10,000 reactions as South Africans joked about living in trees and questioned if the US even has schools

A US streamer's honest reaction to seeing Cape Town for the first time has left South Africans both amused and frustrated about how little Americans know about Africa. The video, shared by content creator @beezsolo on 6 August 2025, shows American streamer @cashnastytiktok's genuine shock at discovering South African cities exist.

In the clip, Cash sees images of Cape Town and can't believe his eyes.

"Man, Africa got buildings? They got power. They got towers," he says in disbelief. He then admits what he actually thought: "I swear on everything, bro, I thought it was just clay and tribes and tents."

The American streamer's reaction revealed a big problem with how Western media portrays Africa. The South African content creator @beezsolo points out that while some might say Cash is just trying to get views with rage bait, the truth is Western media doesn't show modern African cities. He shows images of both Cape Town and Johannesburg, explaining how Chris Brown recently performed to a sold-out stadium in South Africa.

The creator makes it clear that the mindset Cash has is very outdated, especially in 2025. Africans aren't living in the dark; they live modern lifestyles just like people in first-world countries.

SA mocks American streamer's ignorance

The comments section exploded with South Africans making jokes and questioning the American education system:

@QueenNungu mocked:

"I think Harvard is equivalent to South African grade 1 or Pre-School coz' what!?"

@Charlie laughed:

"Y'all think South Africa is a zoo?"

@Nomali_Nomali REDD played along:

"It's AI, we live in trees… And don't come please."

@Austeeguy7 joked:

"No, it's AI. Beyonce, Jay Z & Chris Brown performed in the Bushes. We hosted the FIFA World Cup in the bushes, playing with lions."

@Andile.EN added:

"Nah, Chris Brown slept in the hut near mine..."

@No name clarified:

"South Africa is a country, and Africa is a continent."

@OptimistPrime42 questioned:

"Do they have schools in the USA?"

@generalaukhumeb from Namibia joked:

"As a Namibian and neighbour of South Africans, we live in the evil forest. Please don't come."

Why Americans think this way

According to Brenda Randolph and Elizabeth DeMulder, who wrote about African stereotypes in education, many Americans genuinely believe Africa is "still uncivilised" and "not urbanised." This couldn't be further from the truth. Africa has the highest urbanisation rates in the world, and by 2025, more than half of the African population will live in cities.

Content creator @beezsolo highlighted a real problem. Images in the news, popular media and even school textbooks often show African people living in poverty. Rarely do they show the reality of wealth, modern cities and normal life that exists throughout the continent.

Kids grow up watching films like The Lion King and Madagascar that show Africa as jungles with only animals. Even teachers sometimes reject images of modern African cities, as one researcher found when showing slides of Dakar in Senegal. The teacher told students,

"This is not the real Africa."

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Other stories about Americans discovering SA

• Briefly News recently reported on an American tourist impressed by a full-service South African petrol station, but what surprised him most about the experience was that South Africans celebrated unique aspects of their service.
• An American experienced South African hospitality at the Mall of Africa during Heritage Month, but what happened when he joined women dancing had people praising Mzansi's welcoming spirit.
• An American content creator with 2.6 million followers praised South African women, but what she specifically complimented about their bodies had locals celebrating body confidence.

Source: Briefly News