“Do You Finally Understand Tyla?”: Mixed-Race US Woman Feeling Seen in South Africa Intrigues Locals

• A mixed-race woman from the United States shared that she felt seen when she visited a South African city
• She was shocked to find out that a group of people called themselves Coloured, as the term is derogatory in her country
• Social media users told the young woman that she looked like she was a part of the community

Alana Lambert, a young American woman who visited Cape Town, was unaware of the country's Coloured community and felt as if she could fit in, given that she was mixed-race. The woman's video prompted many South African internet users to share nuggets of information about Coloured people.

Alana shared the clip on 9 January 2026, in which she remarked:

"I've never felt so seen before as a mixed person. There are so many mixed people here, it's crazy. They call themselves Coloured. As an American, I'm like, 'Bro, what?' But, like, that's a thing here.

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She went on to compliment South Africans for their beauty and shared that visiting the country was her first time on the continent.

Watch the TikTok video posted on Alana's account below:

South Africans react to American in Cape Town

Thousands of local social media users gathered in the comment section to express their thoughts about Alana's realisation of the Coloured community.

@mphoza_nator asked with a laugh:

"As an American, do you finally understand Tyla?"

An amused @user281679931453 commented:

"You just blended in."

@tshepohendricks told Alana:

"You look like our South African Coloureds."

@pniel.hiking wrote in the comment section:

"The Coloured term and classification were forced on us, but we embraced it and created a multi-mix identity and culture."

3 Other stories about Americans in South Africa

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a visiting American was left stunned by the creme soda culture in South Africa.
• An American DJ posted a hilarious video sharing her observations of South Africa after visiting the country for the second time.
• A man from the United States tried South African snacks which aren't found in his country.

Source: Briefly News