“That’s Why Tata Spoke Like That”: Robben Island Survivor Guide’s Unique Way of Speaking Amuses SA

• A Robben Island survivor turned tour guide went viral for the distinctive way he speaks while leading visitors through the historic prison
• The guide described spending Sundays playing rugby and soccer for just 30 minutes, with guards armed with R1 rifles watching for any sign of trouble
• South Africans flooded the comments with jokes comparing his deliberate speech pattern to how Nelson Mandela used to speak

A tour guide at Robben Island Prison captured the internet's attention this week, not only for what he said but for exactly how he said it.

A video posted on Instagram by @starkindest on 18 July 2026 showed the guide leading a group of visitors through the prison grounds, past stone buildings and a sports field, toward one of the facility's doorways. The on-screen caption identified him as a survivor of Robben Island.

What caught people off guard was his slow, deliberate manner of speaking, each syllable placed with careful precision, as though every word carried the full weight of what happened there.

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The guide described daily life at the prison in stark terms. He told the group that inmates were only allowed to play rugby and soccer on Sundays, and only for 30 minutes. The rest of the week was spent doing hard labour in the lime and stone quarry and around the prison grounds. He also pointed out the two guard towers positioned around the facility. According to him, each tower was manned by armed guards carrying R1 rifles, with orders to shoot to kill if any disturbance occurred.

Robben Island’s complex history

Robben Island has served different purposes over several centuries, functioning as a prison, a hospital for people rejected by society, and later as a military installation. Its most famous landmark, the former maximum-security prison that held political prisoners during apartheid, stands as a powerful reminder of South Africa’s journey from racial oppression to democracy, freedom, and equality.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi Reacts to the Robben Island Guide

South Africans on her page could not hold back, with many drawing a connection between the guide's speech and the way the late Nelson Mandela used to speak:

@siish_dj said:

"Now we know why Mandela spoke like that 💀"

@daleclarkfit joked:

"He peer pressured Mandela, that's why Tata spoke like that 😭✋🏽"

@calebblakeeee asked:

"So this is a Robben Island way of speaking 😂"

@flowergirl.bonnie suggested:

"Think they all had to speak in syllables so the Afrikaners can understand English 😭😭"

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@lethu_kk wrote:

"N E V E R A N D N E V E R A G A I N S H A L L I T B E 😂😂😂😂"

@thabangbando added:

"So this is the Robben Island lingo? 😂😂"

More Briefly News Stories on Robben Island

• A South African lifeguard amazed viewers after completing a challenging 7km swim from Robben Island to Bloubergstrand, with his sister sharing the inspiring achievement online.
• A proposal to turn former Robben Island prison warders’ homes into tourist accommodation has divided South Africans, with some supporting the plan as a way to preserve the heritage site while others believe it disrespects the island’s painful apartheid history.
• A South African man’s suggestion to transform historic Robben Island into a party destination like Ibiza gained attention online, with many Mzansi social media users supporting the idea.

Source: Briefly News