“Zulu Men at Taxi Ranks Do It”: American Woman Highlights Catcalling Culture in SA, Divides Mzansi

• Kourtney Jade, an American woman living in South Africa, praised local men for not catcalling women in public
• Catcalling is recognized as sexual harassment under South African labour laws and is linked to unwelcome sexual attention
• South Africans online weighed in with mixed reactions, saying behaviour depends on where you are in the country

Kourtney Jade, an American woman who relocated to South Africa two years ago, sparked an online conversation after praising South African men for something she had never experienced back home: being left alone in public.

In a video posted on 14 July 2026, Jade shared that one of the most noticeable differences between life in South Africa and the United States is how men treat women in public spaces. She said that despite occasionally catching someone's eye at the beach or in a shop, men here simply do not act on it in the aggressive way she grew up experiencing.

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"They see you, they think, oh, she's cute. But they don't bother me. They don't stop me at the gas station. They don't stop me in the grocery store."

Catcalling Under SA Labour Laws

Catcalling, unwanted flirting, sexual comments, whistling, or suggestive gestures can fall under sexual harassment because they involve unwelcome sexual attention that causes discomfort, fear, or distress. South African labour guidance recognises sexual harassment as discriminatory behaviour linked to a person’s sex.

View the Facebook video below:

South Africans Respond to the Praise

Reactions from South Africans on Kourtney's page were warm but honest, with several pointing out that the experience varies depending on location:

Donovan Calvin Meyer said:

"Thank you but I suppose it goes with where you are at. Zulu men at the taxi ranks do it."

Marc Shaw wrote:

"We admire with our eyes lol. True, we don't overdo it."

Merle M Frankfort noted:

"Catcalling does happen. It just depends where you are 🤣🤦🏾‍♀️"

Sebastian Napier offered his own theory:

"It's you. The respect you give is the respect you get. The way you dress is like a (Makoti) a woman that's soon to be married. Men respect that."

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More Briefly News Stories on America and South Africa

• An American woman compared Walmart in the US to South African stores in a TikTok video, sharing her surprise at the differences and sparking discussion among viewers.
• An American missionary shared the biggest culture shocks she experienced while living in South Africa, from language and customs to everyday life, leaving Mzansi viewers reacting to her observations.
• An Afrikaner man returned from America to surprise his parents in South Africa after they had moved away, capturing an emotional family reunion that left viewers in tears.

Source: Briefly News