“Why Am I Crying?”: Mzansi React to Emotional Farewell for Shoprite Employees After 30 Years
- Shoprite staff gave an emotional farewell to employees after decades of service with heartfelt tributes in-store
- A TikTok video shows one of the employees removing her photo and leaning on a table, overwhelmed by emotion during the farewell ceremony
- Social media users praised the dedication and loyalty of long-serving Shoprite employees, sharing their own emotional workplace stories in response
- Briefly News spoke to Portia Ntame-Msimango, Branch Manager of Shoprite Kwanonqaba, who shared her insights on the farewell
Don't miss out! Join Briefly News Sports channel on WhatsApp now!
Two Shoprite employees in Mossel Bay in the Western Cape have left their mark on the supermarket after decades of service. Their farewell had colleagues reaching for tissues.
Source: TikTok
Front End Controller Deresa Taylor and long-serving cashier Dina Muller were respectively celebrated after 30 and 25 years of dedication in an emotional send-off.
Taylor and Muller spent most of their working lives behind the tills and managing front-end operations. Their commitment to the Kwanonqaba branch turned them into familiar faces for regular customers.
The heartfelt goodbye took place in the store on 31 January 2026, where colleagues gathered to honour the duo’s decades of service.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Farewell moments caught on camera
In a TikTok video posted by the branch manager, Andiswa Portia Ntame-Msimango, Taylor is seen removing her photo from the wall of the store. The clip shows her leaning on a table, visibly overwhelmed. The footage then cut to both women receiving their gifts.
Colleagues can be seen clapping and cheering as the pair are handed keepsakes to commemorate their years at Shoprite. The farewell brought together staff across all departments.
Briefly News reaches out to Shoprite
Briefly News spoke to the manager of the Kwanonqaba branch, Portia Ntame-Msimango following the retirement of two long-serving employees.
Ntame-Msimango described their farewell as deeply emotional. She said that watching them say goodbye brought “an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude.” She added that it was “a farewell to colleagues who have become part of the very fabric of this store.” Taylor began her journey in 1996 as a cashier, while Muller joined in 2001 in the same role, both rising to become senior figures within the team.
Ntame-Msimango said, “As senior members of the team, their impact has been profound.” She explained that they mentored nearly every employee who walked through the doors.
The TikTok video by the manager under the handle @sisPosh, racked up over 47,000 likes at the time of this report.
Watch the TikTok video below:
Mzansi bids farewell
TikTok users flooded the comments of the clip, with many sharing their own stories of workplace farewells and praising the dedication of the two women.
@Nolubee💕 commented:
“These gogos are the real Shoprite❤️. Once they leave, the quality of the food from their bakery changes.😤”
@tebza wrote:
“You guys deserve good things in life. You have been through a lot. Go and relax, and I hope God keeps you. I also hope you will enjoy your pension.🥰”
@Daisy Mooto said:
“Why am I crying?❤😥”
@Vitaly wrote:
“All the best, may this chapter that you are about to start be filled with meaning, joy and prosperity.❤”
@Unresolved thoughts🫂 commented:
“Bittersweet, but you can see that both of them are good people.”
Source: TikTok
More Shoprite articles on Briefly News
- Briefly News previously reported that a simple R5 breakfast option from Shoprite caught the attention of South Africans online.
- A Shoprite cashier shared her incredible journey of completing her Bachelor of Education degree through Unisa while working full-time.
- A man told people how they could become a retailer at South Africa's largest supermarket.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
