Boston Woman’s Year-Long Move to SA Sparks Reactions Online: “We Are Internally Angry as a Nation”

• A young woman shared her journey from Boston to South Africa, including her first-class flights and travel experiences
• She documented arriving in Port Elizabeth, settling into her new apartment, and enjoying the scenic waterfront
• The video sparked widespread reactions online, with South Africans sharing mixed feelings about her year-long stay in Mzansi

A young woman has captured the attention of social media users after documenting her journey from Boston to South Africa, where she will be living for a year.

In a video shared online on 31 January 2026, the traveller invited viewers to "come with me while I fly to South Africa to live there a year," showcasing her exciting experience from takeoff to arrival.

The woman who goes by the TikTok handle @elsie.hession began her journey in Boston, sharing that her father surprised her and her companions with first-class tickets.

"I clearly did not know what to do with the hot towel they gave us," she joked, highlighting her first taste of luxury air travel. During the 6-hour and 30-minute flight to London, she showcased the meals and amenities provided on board, calling the experience "just amazing."

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Upon arriving in London at night, @elsie.hession prepared for the next leg of her journey, which was an 11-hour flight to Johannesburg.

"It honestly wasn’t that bad. I just watched a movie and went to bed. The bathrooms were huge," she shared, giving followers an entertaining insight into long-haul travel.

After landing in Johannesburg, the young traveller took a connecting flight to Port Elizabeth. She detailed her arrival, mentioning that she freshened up at the airport before enjoying a meal in the lounge.

From there, TikTok user @elsie.hession and her companions drove to their apartment, ending the day with dinner by the waterfront. She recounted unpacking and going to bed, only to wake up the next morning to a breathtaking sea view from her bedroom window.

The video quickly gained traction online, sparking a wave of reactions from South Africans. While some were excited and inspired by her move, others shared mixed feelings about her stay in Mzansi.

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Watch the video below:

SA reacts to Boston woman’s Mzansi trip

People in South Africa had a lot to say as they flooded her comments section, saying:

677ms丨MAX simply asked:

"Why ?"

Talent stated:

"Bathong, there are South African students abroad, and y'all are crashing out cause of one exchange student?"

Lulu wrote:

"When are you going back 🙄?"

Wilson expressed:

"Bathong leavening Boston for Port Elizabeth 😭💔😂."

Chi Mimi commented:

"I hope you enjoy staying in South Africa and complete your masters🥰."

FUNDISA replied:

"😂The comments are killing me...we are internally angry as a nation, and I wish we had a way we could voice our frustrations to our our of touch GNU government."

Other Briefly News stories about Americans in Mzansi

• A woman from the UK was stunned by how affordable healthcare was when she needed it in Cape Town.
• South Africans were amazed by an American woman who was airlifted out of Limpopo due to the floods.
• An American teenage boy shared his first day of school in South Africa in a TikTok video.

Source: Briefly News