“Another Interesting Fact”: Woman Realises Sister Bethina Is a Sample of Aaliyah’s Song, SA Debates

• A curious social media user left thousands of South Africans stunned after pointing out a striking similarity between two iconic songs
• The video shared on TikTok highlighted the connection between a local kwaito anthem and an international R&B classic
• Social media users shared divided reactions, with many long-time fans claiming they never noticed the musical resemblance until now

The legacy of South Africa’s "unofficial national anthem" returned to the spotlight following a surprising musical discovery posted on January 26, 2026.

The viral clip was shared on TikTok by @cassi_scheppel, who asked her followers how old they were when they realised that Mgarimbe’s Sister Bethina featured a beat inspired by Aaliyah’s hit song Try Again.

Using her iPad, the creator displayed Aaliyah’s 2001 self-titled album and noted that Mgarimbe, whose real name is Nkosinathi Mfeka, released his legendary track in 2005. TikTok user @cassi_scheppel played segments of both songs to illustrate how the rhythmic structure of the late American singer's track served as a foundation for the local hit.

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The story behind SA's "unofficial national anthem"

Mgarimbe’s iconic hit Sister Bethina began as a spontaneous freestyle recorded during a night out at a Durban studio. Producer Jabu Ndlovu captured a raw performance over a beat that sampled Aaliyah’s 2001 hit Try Again. The track was never professionally edited, yet it quickly evolved from a local club song into a massive national phenomenon. It earned the title of South Africa's "unofficial national anthem" for its unique ability to unite diverse crowds on the dance floor. Decades later, the song remains a timeless cultural landmark that defines South African celebration culture.

Watch the TikTok video below:

SA debates Sister Bethina's origin

The clip gained massive traction with over 1.5K viewers flocked to the comments to debate the production of the song. Many viewers expressed genuine shock at the information, admitting that they had danced to both songs for years without ever connecting the two. Some users explained that Sister Bethina was originally just a freestyle performed at a club before it was later edited and officially released. Others claimed that they had known about the sample for years and expressed surprise that the "Year 2000" generation was only discovering it now.

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User @Ntiphy detailed:

"Sister Bethina was just free style by Mgarimbe in the club called Tilt in Durban. After he finished, Jabu, a producer, decided to make it a song."

User @muzitunzi3 asked:

"Are you for real?"

User @Zane Black commented:

"Not only is it a sample. It's a demo that came with the music producing program Fruity Loops. The demo was to show that you can recreate any song using the program. Then the guy just shouted over it & it became a hit."

User @Luyanda shared:

"Another interesting fact: Sista Bethina is a freestyle; it was not even supposed to be a song. The guys were just singing randomly, not knowing that they were being recorded."

User @𝑵 𝒊 𝒄 𝒐 𝒍 𝒆 added:

"Oh, guys! I grew up listening to Try Again, I don't know how I didn't realise this 😭."

User @cleevo said:

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3 Briefly News articles about South African songs

• Zuluboy left viewers in stitches when his mom filmed their hilarious debate over the popular Zulu song Umbayimbayi.
• Three Afrikaans men captured the hearts of the nation after a video showed them performing a joyful dance routine to Brenda Fassie's hit song Vul'indlela.
• A talented little girl captured hearts across social media with her soulful rendition of a popular Amapiano track that is loved by many locals.

Source: Briefly News