"1-Hour Tea Breaks": Gent Shares Why He Would Not Hire South Africans for Certain Jobs
- A TikToker sparked debate after sharing why he would struggle to hire South Africans in certain service roles
- The creator compared local government service experiences at Home Affairs, SAPS and public hospitals to his time in the UAE
- Viewers flooded the comments with their own frustrations about poor service delivery across South Africa
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Source: TikTok
A content creator stirred up a lively online debate on 26 July 2026 after posting a video explaining, half-jokingly, why he would not hire South Africans for certain positions.
@itellyoustuff, who regularly shares commentary on South African current affairs, recorded the clip from his home and tagged it to Durban Beach, eThekwini. What started as a lighthearted take quickly turned into something far more pointed.
His argument centred on service delivery. He asked viewers to think honestly about their last visit to a Home Affairs office, a licensing department, a labour office, or a public hospital, and whether South African staff treated them with warmth and respect. His answer was a firm no.
He contrasted that with his experience in the UAE, where he said Filipino healthcare workers left him genuinely impressed.
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"I went to the UAE and the Filipinos treated me in hospitals," he said, adding that he wished similar workers could come and demonstrate what good service looks like.
Service delivery in the spotlight
The video touched on a much broader national conversation around repatriation efforts and the push to prioritise local employment. While he acknowledged that not all South Africans behave poorly, he argued that those in government-facing roles, where ordinary people have no choice but to show up, are often the worst offenders.
He also spoke directly to fellow Africans from other countries, urging them to remember which South Africans showed them kindness and which ones did not. He framed it as something that would matter in the future, when investment and partnerships are on the table.
The video closed on a more reflective note, reminding viewers that circumstances change and that those who are struggling today should not be written off permanently.
Mzansi Weighs In on Service Delivery
Commenters on @itellyoustuff's TikTok had plenty to add:
@thando said:
"Try SAPS police station, you have to give them money for them to listen to you and open a case."
@wayne bester said:
"I am a white South African, I don't agree with everything that you say but do respect your opinions."
@Keith Pillay659 shared:
"1-hour tea breaks and 2-hour lunch times at Mahatma Gandhi Hospital."
Watch the TikTok clip here.
More on the foreign debate
- Briefly News recently reported on over 1,000 Ugandan citizens repatriated from South Africa who were processed through reintegration camps back home.
- In another story, South Africans reacted after Chidimma Adetshina's lawyer resurfaced online, having previously been caught citing AI-generated fake legal cases.
- A Zimbabwean man's online rant about rising crime back home sparked debate, as he blamed fellow citizens who returned after facing xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
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Source: Briefly News
