Cynthia Erivo Sings Miriam Makeba's Hit in TikTok Video Sparks Controversy Over Movie Casting
- In a post on TikTok, a South African shared an old video of Cynthia Erivo singing a Miriam Makeba song after news that the UK actress would depict the South African legend
- The late Miriam Makeba will be honoured with a lifetime movie, and the British Hollywood star was cast to play her
- A South African woman sourced a video of Cindy Erivo singing one of Miriam Makeba's biggest hits during an interview
A TikTok video shared on 11 January 2026 gave people an idea of how long Cynthia Erivo has been preparing to play Miriam Makeba. The UK actress came off the cocktails of Wicked, where she played Elphaba, and snagged the role of the South African icon.
Source: Getty Images
Her latest role to recreate the life of Miriam Makeba on screen received mixed reactions. South Africans had a lot to say because of the non-South African actress who would act as the beloved Mzansi icon.
A South African @khummy.khumalo reacted to a TikTok video by @athisfaction, of Cynthia singing a Miriam Makeba song. The actress was in an interview and had to guess the song, which she correctly identified as Miriam Makeba's Pata Pata. She sang a line of the song, doing her best to pronounce the Xhosa lyrics and playfully singing along to the chorus. Cynthia revealed she was studying the South African icon, raving about how she used music as a form of protest during apartheid. Watch the video and the South African's reaction below:
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South Africa jokes about Cynthia as Miriam Makeba
Many people pointed out Cynthia's pronunciation of Makeba. Online users felt that the UK Star was the least suited to play the role of the South African singer, but others argued the film's budget needed an international star of her calibre. Another video gaining traction was a man reacting to Cynthia Erivo allegedly singing the Click song, but it was actually an audio of Cher's cover. Read the comments below:
Zozzo ☘️ commented:
"Cynthia Erivo, I love her, but please, this is utter disrespect to Mama Miriam n.mlosthwa."
user768456948 complained:
"Next thing we’ll see Blue Ivy as Brenda Fassie."
Zo remarked:
"Is there a petition we can sign? I’m mad!!"
Atlegang🩵🇧🇼 remarked:
"Literally my chat. I was SO PISSED when I saw that video"
Fenkie said:
"They are sleeping on ….(Shoki Mmola) Celia from Skeem Saam 🔥"
Amy_Sibbs96 added:
"uBrenda Fassie kuzoba uTaylor Swift👍🏽😭"
paigevsamelia said:
"Lots of people spoke about this on TikTok. As annoying as it is, it's BUSINESS. It's about the money. They would not have gotten the budget that they did for the movie if not for Cynthia Erivo. They want the movie to make money and go global, hence the Cynthia casting (a world-renowned actress)."
Almost New added:
"Let's normalise telling our own stories and allow people to do as they wish with their own money."
Mzansi stunned by the state of Miriam Makeba's house
Briefly News previously reported that Miriam Makeba's house has now become a hub of alleged substance abuse, 16 years after her passing.
Nearly two decades after Miriam Makeba's death, her legacy continues to live on, but her hard work appears to be going down the drain.
City Press reports that the Click Song hitmaker's home, which she reportedly left to her grandchildren, Zenzi, Lee and Themba, has gone to ruin and is merely a shadow of what it once was.
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Source: Briefly News
