"I Was Wrong": Nigerian Stuns To See South African Oranges at USA Walmart in TikTok Video

• A Nigerian man filmed himself reacting to South African oranges on sale at a Walmart store in the United States
• He admitted the discovery challenged his long-held belief that Nigeria's economy was far stronger than South Africa's
• South Africans and Nigerians online clashed and laughed over his honest confession

A Nigerian TikToker got more than he bargained for on a routine trip to Walmart. On 30 July 2026, @tanko1809 posted a video reacting to South African navel oranges from South Africa sitting on the shelves of an American retail store.

Filming from inside his car, he said he had always believed Nigeria's economy towered over South Africa's. Finding SA produce in a major US chain made him stop and reconsider that assumption out loud.

"I am a Nigerian, and I've always had this impression that Nigeria's economy is much better than South Africa's economy," he said. "But I don't think that's true because how can South Africa have a strong trade relationship with the United States?"

Read also

"Harvard is basically Unisa": Mzansi weighs in after American compares SA and US university grading

Nigerian shares SA reflection

Rather than deflect, the man in the video by @tanko1809 leaned into the awkwardness. He called the discovery "a very great achievement" for South Africa and turned the camera on his own country, asking why Nigerians were quick to dismiss their southern African neighbours instead of learning from them. "Nigerians should first of all think, why are we even beefing South Africans?" he said. "We should just embrace the fact that South Africans are just like trying to show us the road."

He drew a clear distinction between small African grocery shops scattered across American cities and mainstream retail giants like Walmart and Costco, arguing that reaching those shelves represented a different level of economic access entirely. Watch the video that sparked the debate:

Mzansi responds to Nigerian man

South Africans were quick to fill the comments with pride, facts and a fair amount of humour:

Read also

Gayton’s F1 post leaves South Africans asking one big question

@zen-zee🇿🇦 shared:

"I saw our ZZ2 tomatoes in USA Walmart, Chicago. I was very happy when I see the box written ZZ2, Limpopo Province South Africa."

@MaCnt pointed out:

"They come from Limpopo, Tzaneen to be precise 🥰"

@sbuda101111 added:

"Not only in America, go Asia and Europe you'll find South African products there too."

@grand mayster noted:

"South African stock exchange 1.4 trillion dollars, Nigerian stock exchange 112 billion dollars, so Nigeria is not even close."

@thabomakate said simply:

"We don't do hawking bro, we do boardroom business."

@HGR Projects LTD offered:

"Before you go that far, compare Naira to Rand."

@NOKO.net.so🇿🇦 wrote:

"South African economy is three times bigger than Nigeria's economy."

Other Briefly News stories about Nigeria and SA

• A Nigerian content creator who sparked significant debate by criticising alleged drug-dealing activities among some Nigerians in South Africa.
• Details about a Nigerian man's TikTok video where he outlines five culture shocks he encountered while living in Cape Town, including the challenges of renting property.
• A South African content creator who offered a candid look into daily life in Nigeria, showcasing everything from flooded streets to vibrant local street food.

Source: Briefly News