“He Is Smiling Down at You”: Cape Town TikToker Honours Soli Philander With a Heartfelt Dance
- A Cape Town dancer who has already taken his moves all the way to New York stopped to pay tribute to a beloved SA icon with a quiet, heartfelt moment in a Manenberg scrapyard
- Soli Philander was born on the Cape Flats and stumbled into acting by accident when he tagged along to a friend's audition and never looked back
- Long before television made him a household name, Philander was touring stages in London, Sweden, the Netherlands and the United States with stories rooted in Cape Town life
South Africa is still raw with grief after losing one of its most beloved storytellers, Soli Philander.
Source: UGC
On 5 March 2026, Cape Town TikToker Darion Adams stepped into a scrapyard in Manenberg and let his body say what words could not. He moved through a dance sequence as a personal tribute to the late Soli Philander, who died just a day earlier aged 65.
Adams regularly uses the platform to share his dance clips. He posted the video because Philander meant something real to him. He had met the icon in person, and that encounter stayed with him.
Adams’ posted the tribute on his TikTok account, @darion_adams. It came from a place of genuine loss. He grew up, like Philander, breathing Cape Flats air. This was a tribute from the streets, for a man who never forgot the streets.
PAY ATTENTION: Briefly News is now on YouTube! Check out our interviews on Briefly TV Life now!
Who was Soli Philander?
Philander was born grew up in Elsiesrivier, a working-class township on the Cape Flats. His introduction to performance was reportedly completely unplanned. He found his way into acting almost by accident. He was accompanying a friend to an audition and never really looked back.
From that accidental afternoon, his career was born. His career cut its teeth at The Space Theatre, one of the few genuinely non-racial cultural venues of the 1970s and early 1980s. He later joined the Baxter Theatre and built a name that would carry him across continents. His work later took him abroad. His tours included performances in London and the United States. He introduced international audiences to his distinctive style.
Adams has also been building his own story. He has already taken his dancing to New York in the USA.
Watch the TikTok video here:
Mzansi reacts to the tribute.
Briefly News compiled a series of comments from the post below.
@chriszelle willemse commented:
“😭This is beautiful. I hope they play this video at his funeral. Uncle Soli will always be remembered.”
@Aniesah Bux said:
“I have seen lots of videos of him passing, but this one made me cry.”
@SuNfLoWeRlOvER🌻 wrote:
“Why did I cry after watching this? It's so beautiful.❤️🙏”
@charmaineburger78 noted:
“Soli is smiling down at you, my brother.🥰”
@kanni dood commented:
“Beautiful, bringing tears to me. May his soul rest in peace.”
Source: TikTok
More articles about Soli Philander
- A Cape Town broadcaster and author shared a post confirming the death of iconic actor and activist Soli Philander.
- Soli Philander, beloved South African actor, comedian, director, and presenter, has passed away at the age of 65.
- Popular TV personality Soli Philander gave an update about his health in a video a few weeks before his passing.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
