“I Have Definitely Started Codeswitching”: UK Woman’s Accent Changes Since Living in South Africa

• A woman from the United Kingdom shared how she adapted to South African phrases and accents after moving there
• Her TikTok insights sparked discussions on cultural language adaptation and the power of accents
• Online reactions highlighted the community's fascination with the woman's code-switching and accent changes

Tara Berwin, a British woman living in South Africa, shared how she had adapted to the South African accent and shared some of the phrases he had adopted. It has only been a year since Tara moved to her fiancé's home country.

The young woman shared on her TikTok account on 13 April 2026 that people have told her that her accent had changed.

She told online viewers:

"I don't think my accent has changed, but I have definitely started codeswitching."

Tara listed three things she noticed she had been doing to alter the way she speaks.

She explained how she emphasised the words 'is' and 'was' in certain sentences, such as 'It is amazing,' or 'It was incredible.' Next, Tara noted that while she has been using 'shame' in her conversation, it has somehow evolved.

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"Instead of saying 'shame,' I say, 'Ja. no, shame,' which is how you guys say it."

Lastly, Tara mentioned her favourite saying that she noted may require a South African accent, which was saying the phrase, 'No, man.'

She shared that when she first started dating her partner, she mistakenly thought his use of the phrase was his way of showing he wasn't interested in their relationship.

Watch the TikTok video below:

Internet comments on UK woman codeswitching

Hundreds of members of the online community expressed their thoughts on Tara's use of the South African phrases.

@nanginoruka said to Tara:

"I never noticed the pause before 'amazing,' but a very valid observation."

@chihuahuas_of_kent shared with a laugh:

"I had to change the way I pronounce 'strawberry' at the McDonald’s drive-thru. The English way is 'strawbree,' and so I have to enunciate the 'berry' or they can’t understand me."

@kxtie_lee stated under the post:

"I’m from the United Kingdom but work with a lot of people who live in South Africa, and I can definitely hear your vowel sounds changing! Now and then, they get a bit shorter. That accent is definitely changing, girl! Embrace it, though, it’s fascinating!"

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@tammy_ann_moodley wondered in the comment section:

"This was such an original take on our language patterns. I'm interested to know if you noticed facial expressions or gestures that are different."

@siventwana22 reminded Tara:

"Don’t forget to use 'now now.'"

3 Other stories about accents

• In another article, Briefly News reported that a Zulu man had an American accent while speaking English. South Africans were thoroughly amused after watching the video.
• A man performed what sounded like a classic Afrikaans grandpa radio advertisement. The man added a humorous twist when he delivered his lines in a strong Scottish accent, catching many off guard.
• A South African man in Liverpool showed how he easily changed his Scouse accent to an isiXhosa accent. People shared how they didn't expect the young man to change his accent the way he did.

Source: Briefly News