“There's Another Stage”: German Woman Breaks Down SA’s Goodbye Stages in Hilarious TikTok, Amuses SA

• A German woman went viral on TikTok after sharing what she’s learned about how South Africans don’t just leave a house, but go through a whole series of goodbye “stages”
• South Africans jumped into the comments with their own funny additions, showing that leaving is never quick
• The conversation also highlighted how storytelling is deeply embedded in everyday South African life, even in simple moments like saying goodbye

German woman, @ili_lebo, posted a video on TikTok on 27 May 2026, saying that since dating her South African boyfriend, she has learned that leaving someone’s house in South Africa happens in stages. Mzansi added their contributions to the humorous discovery.

She outlined six stages of a South African goodbye. The first being the announcement stage where nobody moves afterwards:

"This is just to prepare the room emotionally."

She continued from the second stage: which was the standing up stage, then the doorway conversation stage, the gate conversation stage, the car window briefing stage, and the sixth one being the ceremonial hoot stage. She explained the importance of stage four:

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“Very important, because apparently the conversation cannot survive indoors only, it must also touch fresh air.”

How storytelling shapes everyday SA moments

Ili noted that telling stories was woven into almost every stage and that speaks to Mzansi's storytelling culture. According to SA Tourism, storytelling is central to how South Africa experiences and presents travel, with guides, locals, and communities using stories to connect history, culture, and place in a more personal way.

The article explains that storytelling in South Africa shows up in ordinary, everyday moments like chatting with locals, hearing personal family histories, or learning the meaning behind street names and neighbourhood landmarks. Even simple interactions, like buying food at a market or visiting a small town, often come with stories that give context and emotion to the place.

View the TikTok video below:

SA laughs at goodbye stages

South Africans shared their own funny stages, from walking each other home to late-night leftovers and unexpected sleepovers. This is what Mzansi said on @ili_lebo's page:

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Miss Jacobs said:

"Stage 7, reporting back to the host that you have arrived at home."

BusiBabes wrote:

"If you stay in the same neighborhood, there's a stage where you walk your friend halfway to their house, then they walk you back, then you do the same.. until one of you gets tired or something comes up 🤷😂"

Glambot commented:

"As a kid, this was traumatic. We usually just fell asleep on some random bed while the adults were saying goodbye 😂"

Mogaumol shared:

"There is another stage where we ask you to wait so we get you some food (fruits from trees or vegetables from the garden)"

Natasha 🇿🇦| Yarn Over added:

"Don't forget the leftover food from the braai placed in an ice cream tub"

More Briefly News Stories on South African culture

• An American woman living in South Africa shared a TikTok note highlighting culture shocks about Mzansi men, particularly their strong dancing culture and expressive social behaviour, which sparked amused reactions from South Africans.
• An American tourist was shocked to discover South Africa’s green, bubblegum-flavoured cream soda instead of the vanilla version he expected.
• A German woman shared her culture shock after noticing South Africans’ strong fascination with BMWs, which stood out to her as a major status symbol in the country.

Source: Briefly News