“We’re Not Here to Waste Anybody’s Time”: Woman Shares the ‘Unspoken Rules’ of South Africa

• Doctor and content creator Claudia Skelton shared the humorous 'unspoken rules' of South Africa
• Some rules included not jumping queues, no matter the location, and sharing snacks at gatherings
• Several social media users contributed their own funny takes on the South African etiquette

Claudia Skelton, a South African doctor with a funny bone, enlightened the internet with some of South Africa's 'unspoken rules.' Social media users added a few more to the list, adding humour in the comment section.

The doctor took to her TikTok account on 25 February 2026 to share the rules, starting with running across the road, even at a zebra crossing, if a car slows down for you to reach the other side.

"We're not here to waste anybody's time."

Second on the list was not back-chatting your mother, no matter your age. Next, Claudia mentioned the act of sharing if you are the only person in a large group with snacks.

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She added in her commentary:

"If you bought McDonald's and you're on your way home, you have to eat all the chips in the car while they're still lekker hot."

While some may not see the following as an 'unspoken rule' and rather as the right thing to do, Claudia mentioned not jumping the queue, whether it be at Pick n Pay or Home Affairs.

Watch the TikTok video below:

The internet adds to the 'unspoken rules'

The viral video had hundreds of social media users, even people abroad, sharing other 'unspoken rules.'

@hippygem shared their opinion with the online community:

"As a Brit who shared houses with Saffas for years, 'you must' do many things. Also, South Africans pass out all over your place after a house party but wake up at the crack of dawn, clean up the bottles and sweep the floor while you're still sleeping and then just leave, like ghosts."

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@zet2669 jokingly stated:

"Eye contact with a car guard is a legally binding contract."

@lourenza.hietbrin wrote in the comments:

"If someone drives over into the yellow line for you (so you can pass), then you flash your hazards quickly to say thank you, and the other car should flash their lights back to say, 'It's a pleasure, dude.'"

@obscura.europa said to the doctor:

"Don't forget to lift your hand in a thank-you gesture as you run across the road."

@bushbaby_awol also mentioned:

"Never go to a braai without taking food with you."

3 Other stories about unspoken rules

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a woman, who interacted with her half-asleep mother, made South Africans laugh when she broke an unspoken rule in an African household.
• A happily married couple shared a list of their unspoken rules to maintain their loving and strong relationship. They impressed people online with their candid advice, with many people saying the clip restored their faith in love.
• The wife went viral after sharing a non-negotiable cellphone rule, emphasising transparency and minimising distractions in their relationship. The video had some people expressing concern about missing emergency calls.

Source: Briefly News