“Taken From Her Tribe”: SA Woman Frightened by Convertible Car Has Global Viewers in Stitches

• A South African woman's terrified reaction to experiencing a convertible car roof closing for the first time went viral across the globe
• The woman screamed and ducked into a foetal position as the BMW's roof closed, thinking something was attacking her
• The video got over a million views, with global viewers finding her panic about the car closing hilarious

A video of a South African woman experiencing a convertible car for the first time has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. Instagram page @trendwarm, which shares funny and trending internet content, posted the clip on 5 February 2026, and it quickly became one of the most talked-about videos online.

A woman in a zebra-print top was sitting in the back seat of a BMW convertible when the two men in the front decided to close the roof. What should have been a simple moment turned into pure chaos as the woman clearly had no idea what was happening. As soon as the roof started moving, she began screaming "Bayangitshontsha," which means "they're attacking me" in Zulu.

Read also

Cindy Makhathini's viral dance video fails to impress: "We are tired now"

As the roof continued to retract and close, the woman's fear escalated. She started ducking and holding onto her head, eventually curling up into a foetal position on the back seat. When the windows also began closing automatically, another round of screaming erupted. The men in the front couldn't stop trying to reassure her after her dramatic reaction to what they considered a basic car feature.

The video was originally posted by South African user @sneminaj on 4 February 2026 and exploded overnight. Within 24 hours, it had gathered millions of views and thousands of likes, proving that sometimes the simplest moments create the biggest laughs.

What made the video even funnier for many viewers was the woman's "haibo" exclamation.

Watch the Instagram clip here.

Global viewers love woman's panic

Social media users from around the world flooded the comments section with jokes and observations about the woman on Instagram user @trendwarm's clip:

@bedgepictures joked:

"She's experiencing a car crash without the crash."

@bradisaacs compared:

"This is how my dog acts when I put the top up."

@mylyjohn1 questioned:

"This ignorance better be satire. If not, it's annoying me."

@kingofhairss tagged someone:

"Very local girl."

@joel_gomez_p joked:

"This is how you know this woman has just been kidnapped from her tribe."

Read also

"Runway inspection": South Africans joke as giraffes on tarmac stop pilot from landing

@x_rjq wrote:

"Night has come, night has come."

More stories on viral panic reactions

• Briefly News recently reported on a five-year-old boy's ICE detainment in Minnesota that divided the internet over conflicting claims about what happened.
• In another story, a South African man's dramatic reactions during his first-ever flight experience had viewers both entertained and relating to his fear.
• Twin toddlers scared each other after making a big mess together, and their reactions when they saw each other again had their mom in stitches.

Source: Briefly News