“We’re Skinny Here”: UK Women Discuss Body Image Differences in UK and SA After Cape Town Visit

• Two UK women visited Cape Town and noticed a big difference in how body types are viewed compared to back home
• The women said that they realised one had to leave home to feel appreciated at times
• South Africans had mixed reactions, with some agreeing and others questioning if they were being honest

A TikTok content creator, @simply_yolandita, landed in Cape Town with a friend and didn't even need 24 hours to notice something different. On 26 November 2025, the UK-based woman shared a video discussing body image standards in South Africa versus the UK, and the difference caught her completely off guard.

In the clip, both women are explaining their experience so far. The content creator talks about being a size 10, which she says is considered quite big in the UK. But in Cape Town, people were telling them they were thin. Her friend chimed in to say they've been walking around getting called models since they arrived. @simply_yolandita goes on to share what she noticed and repeats her thoughts to make her point clear:

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"Sometimes, you need to leave your country to actually feel appreciated."

The video went viral, getting over 14,000 reactions and hundreds of comments. People had a lot to say about their take on body image in both countries. Some viewers said the women actually look South African and fit right in. Others suggested they should just move to SA permanently if they feel more comfortable there. But not everyone agreed. Some people doubted that South Africans were genuinely calling them models.

The post was shared with the caption:

"Body image in different countries, different ideals, but the real glow-up is learning to love your body, wherever you are ❤️"

Mzansi reacts to UK women's clip

South Africans weighed in with their thoughts on TikToker @simply_yolandita's clip:

@mac wasn't convinced:

"I'm not sure about being skinny, but ok😂😂😂 Yes, I'm South African."

@big_mamo related:

"Guys, I hear them. I'm their size, and every time you say I want to lose weight, I always get 'you're not even fat'."

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@kiyah saw it as:

"My sign to leave the UK and go back to the motherland where real men exist 🏃🏽‍♀️"

@asenathi_dukashe explained:

"I don't think it's amanga but more from their perspective. In the UK, the beauty standards are more for the petite girls. Here, they get to see their body types appreciated."

@faith questioned:

"Nobody goes around calling people models in SA. We are used to beauty and all body types. 😒"

@sav loved:

"I love when people come here and actually see how much South Africans appreciate everyone 😭"

Watch the TikTok clip below:

More about UK visitors in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on two UK tourists in Cape Town who tried seven colours for the first time, but what they got had SA laughing.
• A British-South African influencer thought Africa was cheap until she shared how much her two-week South African holiday actually cost, leaving people stunned.
• A UK woman visited a Fourways farmers market event in Johannesburg and fell in love with something she said doesn't exist back home.

Source: Briefly News