American Woman Shares Hilarious Culture Shocks After Living in South Africa

• An American woman posted her observations about South Africa and garnered attention
• Online users were stunned after the woman shared her observations about what makes South Africa unique
• The American posted a TikTok video where she shared her thoughts on local men after living in South Africa

A young lady on TikTok posted a video as an American living in South Africa. The South African resident told people about some of the things that she was getting used to while in Mzansi.

The lady shared a hilarious TikTok video going into detail about her experiences. The woman posted a clip on 12 March 2026, and she surprised people with the culture shock she experienced in South Africa.

In a video on TikTok, an American said that one of the things that shocked her about South Africa was the dancing culture. She said it was especially surprising to see how often Mzansi men dance when compared to other countries she visited. Another shock was that people work less in December as a cultural practice. She also mentioned how people generally don't use first names; they may use mama or papa for elders. The creator added that Mzansi has a lot of car washes and smaller snack sections at liquor stores, but with better flavours. Watch the video below:

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South Africans react to American's cultural shocks

Many people thought the video of the American was hilarious. People discussed whether the American was accurate about her observation about South African men. Read the comments below:

Suvashka Chetty wrote an explanation of why South Africans do not address elders by their first name:

"Respect is very integral to s! First-name basis is a no-go! Anyone older is referred to as 'aunt/uncle regardless of your blood relation to them!"

EZRA MAPHANGA appreciated the video:

"Thanks for speaking well about South Africa, yes, there is crime and other things, but overall we have a lot more freedom than anything else."

Allen shared that dancing was common practice in Mzansi:

"We can dance for show 💃... Men and women, including the kids."

Lebz 🇿🇦 also explained dacig as a social past time:

"Dancing is also a form of flirting here in Mzanzi. body language🤷🏽‍♀️"

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Makalo's Minds! further explained Mzansi's love for dance:

"We perform all kinds of dancing because we express ourselves through music and dancing 🤣🤣"

MzanziHomeGrower shared:

"I can't dance for anything but even I have my one or two moves I can pull off near a dark corner somewhere 🕺🏾"

Other Briefly News stories about culture shock

• A South African shared her experience while visiting Saudi Arabia, including trying to do something as simple as using the bathroom.
• People were fascinated after a woman shared that she was going through culture shock while visiting Dubai.
• Mzansi was eager to hear from a woman who moved to Australia and shared insight about living abroad.
• An American student in South Africa posted a video listing their biggest culture shocks while visiting Mzansi.

Source: Briefly News