“Rainbow Nation at Its Finest”: Mzansi Surprised To See Mlungu With Nguni Name
- A man shared a video on TikTok showing a mlungu with a name that has both Zulu and Xhosa origins
- The young man had his ID card with him and proved that he had a Nguni name, while showing the rest of his name
- TikTok users gathered in the comment section with surprise, while others shared similar stories of names not necessarily matching people's faces
Source: UGC
While in Stellenbosch, a man was surprised to see a mlungu named Ayanda, a name with Zulu and Xhosa origins. While some people on the internet were just as stunned, others saw it as an appreciation for African culture.
On 6 October, 2025, TikTok user @katmaster_muduva uploaded a video on his account showing his interaction with the young man. After the gent behind the camera asked what his name was, Ayanda showed his ID card, which proved his first name. It also revealed that he had a double-barreled second name and surname.
Ayanda surprises many South Africans
With nearly a million views since its publication, thousands of social media users rushed to the comment section to express their surprise. Other online community members shared stories of knowing individuals whose names didn't necessarily 'match' their cultural background or ethnicity. People also speculated that Ayanda's family's housekeeper named him.
Source: Getty Images
@wzyelnino jokingly asked:
"What do you mean your full name is five words with two hyphens?"
@princie_haps shared how shocked they were, writing:
"I was attending a graduation ceremony at UCT recently, and there were two White girls with Nguni names. The Black people in the crowd were shooketh."
@mysticbeautifool added under the post:
"My high school geography teacher, who was White with red hair and freckles, named her third daughter Thandekile. She told us she also wanted to give the first two daughters African names, but her mother-in-law wouldn't allow it. Her mother-in-law passed before the third girl was born, so she finally gave her child an African name."
@sqaloking wrote in the comment section:
"Wele, we've been taking English, Hebrew, and Jewish names for centuries as Africans. So it is time that Western descendants take our names, too."
@from_leeann_with_love shared with the public:
"Rainbow Nation at its finest. I'm Coloured, and I have a first cousin named Asanda Coetzee."
@babyloukhumalo said to the online community:
"Jokes aside, this shows me his family isn’t just White in Africa. They have an appreciation for African culture, which should be the norm."
Take a look at the TikTok video below:
3 Other stories about people's names
- In another article, Briefly News reported that a young American woman learned that her Zulu name was a boy's name. Her name contained one of the three clicks, which she failed to include in her mispronunciation.
- A Zulu-speaking woman who requested an e-hailing service shared how surprised her driver was when he compared her features to her name. The curious man wondered about her parents' ethnicities.
- Singer and business mogul Rihanna, who welcomed her third child in September, 2025, revealed the names of her baby girl. The fashionista and her boyfriend, rapper A$AP Rocky, couldn't wait to show fans their new addition.
Source: Briefly News
