"Made Me Cry": Zimbabwean Couple in South Africa Brings Supplies to Zimbabwean Refugees in Cape Town
- A Zimbabwean couple, @kim_and_tanaka, went out of their way to purchase food and toiletries for stranded Zimbabwean refugees
- The couple used their TikTok platform to show the dire situation of Zimbabweans at the Epping centre
- Thousands of Zimbabwean nationals sought refuge at the Cape Town Refugee Reception Centre after the March and March movement's 30 June deadline
South African-based Zimbabwean creators @kim_and_tanaka stepped up to help their people. The TikTok influencers went shopping for food and toiletries to deliver to the Epping Refugee Reception Centre. They delivered grocery basics including diapers, baby food, and sanitary pads in a video shared on 2 July 2026.
Source: TikTok
More than 2,000 refugees, including Zimbabweans, were placed at the Cape Town repatriation centre. The large number overwhelmed the facility, and many waited for free transport to Beitbridge. Nationwide protests and a self-imposed "Mabahambe" deadline on 30 June triggered the humanitarian crisis.
Zimbabweans await the government repatriation process to clear them for travel to the Beitbridge border. The Epping centre was supposed to be a processing office, but it became a makeshift camp. Thousands of people who used to sleep on public pavements stayed there. Health officials confirmed a diarrhoea outbreak at the facility. TikTokers @kim_and_tanaka stepped up to help in the biting Cape Town winter rain to care for the stranded Zimbabweans. Watch the video below:
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SA discusses help for Zimbabweans
Thousands of social media users rushed to praise the young couple's kindness. Followers expressed gratitude, praising their acts of compassion as heartwarming. Many praised Kim's motherly instincts after noticing her grab specific items like baby food and yoghurts for the infants. Many focused on celebrating the couple's support for the families and children caught in the crisis. Read the comments below
Source: UGC
Tariro Machayasimbi 🥀 was moved:
"This is so thoughtful of you guys considering your ages. May you be blessed."
tapia said:
"Your compassion and generosity mean more than words can express. Acts of kindness like yours are deeply heartwarming and will always hold a special place. Thank you for being such a wonderful source of love and support. I am sincerely grateful."
LadyFhie #teg💖💞💝🔐 added:
"Kim and Tanaka, you guys made me cry. I am in tears😭😭😭 as I am typing right now. Your love and care melted my heart. You did a great thing."
Masibanda was moved:
"Kim is a real mother, guys 😘😭😩😩Not her grabbing purity and yoghurts for the babies 🙏🏻🙏🏻That was so so kind of you guys. Awww and the lady who said thank you and she then asked about Kimaya 😍😍
Other Briefly News stories about Zimbabwe
- A Zimbabwean woman showed people that she chose to go back to her farm in Zimbabwe following the auntie foreigner movement in South Africa.
- South Africans had a lot to say after a Zimbabwean billionaire pledged millions to help citizens leave South Africa amid protests against undocumented foreigners.
- A Cape Town employer who defended Zimbabwean workers during South Africa's auntie immigration tensions received a lot of backlash.
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Source: Briefly News
