“It Feels Like Home”: Cape Town Woman Shares How She Got Her African Government Name
- A Cape Town woman named Khaya shared the story behind her unique African name
- The white South African explained that her name was inspired by Bob Marley's album, but there was more to it
- South Africans praised her name and said it suits her perfectly, with some saying her voice carries a comforting aura
Source: TikTok
A TikToker @khayalikehome from Cape Town, posted a video on 7 January 2026 explaining the story behind her name. The woman was asked by a different TikToker on a different post about how she got the name Khaya, as she is a white woman in South Africa, so it's a very unique name and not something you'd expect someone to have. People were interested in finding out, so she shared the story.
In the video, she said:
"I'm Khaya, and this is a quick story time on how I got my name following the request on Ayanda's story time." She explained that the inspiration behind her name came from Bob Marley, who has an album and song called Kaya, but it's spelt without the H.
The woman shared that her mom had been discussing her baby's name with a colleague, and the colleague mentioned that Khaya actually means home in Xhosa. Her parents decided to go with that spelling instead because they loved the meaning and that it was an African name. She said she's really glad they did because she loves her name so much.
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The video went viral, with thousands of South Africans commenting on the story behind her unique African name. Many praised her parents for choosing such a beautiful name and said it suits her perfectly. Some pointed out that her voice carried a comforting aura like the warmth of home.
Watch the TikTok video below:
SA loves woman's African name
Social media users flooded the comment section with their reactions to TikToker @khayalikehome's name:
@uMfanaUzodlani 🏴☠️🇿🇦 joked:
"My name is Edward. I don't know why I'm Edward."
@Amyoli Mntwana🤎🤍🤎 gushed:
"You are the perfect person for that name; you carry a comforting aura, like the warmth of home."
@KingProTheGreat wrote:
"You have an incredible speaking voice, it's warm and comforting, dare I say it... It feels like home. 😂"
@xhosa anon shared:
"My lecturer's name was Nandi, her mom took it from Queen Nandi 😅"
@Fardarterfu pointed out:
"Did you know that Khaya and Kaya are pronounced differently?"
@With love, K ♥️ said:
"Hi. My name is Khaya, too. My mom gave birth to me at home, and she went for that name 😂❤."
@XLB added:
"My son's name is Khayelihle (beautiful home), but everyone calls him Khaya as well ❤️."
@We-love-SA stated:
"There's some warm-heartedness, and calm in the sound of your voice (radio voice). I think this name has found its match in you. Perfectly suited.☺️"
Source: TikTok
More going on in Cape Town
- Briefly News recently reported on a TikTok video showing visitors at Table Mountain during peak season.
- A wingsuit base jump on Table Mountain ended in a fatal fall after an accident in a restricted area of the park, renewing warnings from authorities.
- South Africans were triggered by a digital nomad's video suggesting British business owners should choose Cape Town over Dubai and Bali.
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Source: Briefly News
