“Worcester Shaya Sauce”: Cape Town Man Schools SA on Correct Pronunciation of Worcestershire Sauce

• A Cape Town content creator took on the challenge of teaching South Africans how to properly pronounce Worcestershire sauce
• The comedian explained that South Africans should think of Worcester, the town, combined with "shaya", which means beating in the Nguni languages
• Mzansi flooded the comments with their own versions of the pronunciation, with some joking that it's called "who's your sister sauce"

A Cape Town man has finally solved one of South Africa's biggest kitchen mysteries: how to say Worcestershire sauce without embarrassing yourself. Content creator @nativEcks, who has over 277,000 followers on Facebook, posted a video on 2 October 2025 with the caption:

"How to say Worcestershire sauce ??? Let us teach each other #fblifestyle."

The clip went viral, racking up over 100,000 views, 3,000 reactions, and 500 comments from South Africans grateful for the lesson.

In the video, he said he was tired of hearing people call it "shahshasha sauce" or other creative variations. He broke it down into two simple parts for South Africans to remember. First, Worcester, which is easy because there's a town called Worcester in South Africa. Then "shaya," which he explained means beating or "mooring" in Nguni languages like Zulu, Swati, and Ndebele. Put them together, and you get "Worcester Shaya sauce" if you want to make it easier to remember.

He warned people not to look at the long spelling and get confused, insisting they shouldn't say "Worcerstar" or any other made-up version. Instead, just think of 'Worcester town' and 'Shaya' as beating, then put them together. He joked that at least now people can brag when cooking and ask someone to pass the Worcestershire sauce without the other person handing them soy sauce by mistake, which would make the food too salty. His comedic delivery and practical breakdown made the pronunciation lesson both entertaining and memorable for viewers who've struggled with the name for years.

SA shares pronunciation struggles

@deshundeysel wrote:

"It's easy in Afrikaaps. We just say Woester Sous! Finish & Klaar!"

@liamo'brien joked:

"It's called who's your sister sauce🤣"

@bubuoamofokeng shared:

"Woo-Sta-Sher sauce. That's how you pronounce it."

@tshikanikhoseni added:

"The pronunciation is Woosta-sha sauce."

@zolilees-kay stated:

"It's whu-sta-she so-os."

@angelagoodallvisser admitted:

"We just say worster sauce😁"

@mlutolo-kamchenge pointed out:

"It's pronounced in Afrikaans though, not in English accent."

The Worcestershire sauce's British origins

According to Wikipedia, Worcestershire sauce was invented by pharmacists John Wheeley Lea and William Henry Perrins in the city of Worcester in Worcestershire, England, during the first half of the 19th century. The inventors formed the company Lea & Perrins, and the sauce was first released to the public in 1838.

The origin story claims that when the recipe was first mixed, the product was so strong it was considered inedible and left in a barrel in the basement. About 18 months later, the chemists discovered the fermented sauce had mellowed and become tasty.

Content creator @nativEcks's video connects the sauce back to its English roots while making it easier for South Africans to pronounce by using local references. The sauce contains ingredients like vinegar, salt, sugar or molasses, garlic, onions, anchovies, tamarind, and spices.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

More SA food moments making waves

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African woman who showed her R900 grocery haul, and viewers were impressed by how she stretched her budget to get essentials and treats.
• The Gauteng Department of Education admitted it doesn't have enough money to feed schoolchildren, and parents expressed serious concerns about the situation.
• A group of baboons caused chaos when they entered a house and stole desserts, and the viral video had South Africans laughing at their bold behaviour.

Source: Briefly News