“Our Jobs Are Not Safe”: Mzansi Reacts to Seeing a Walking Humanoid Robot
- A security guard filmed a humanoid robot walking upright across a Chery dealership driveway in South Africa on 6 August 2026
- The guard reacted with humour, cracking a joke about needing to charge the robot
- The video sparked a wave of fear online, with South Africans worried about losing their jobs to robots
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Source: Twitter
A security guard in South Africa had quite the encounter at work when a humanoid robot casually strolled past him at a Chery vehicle dealership. The guard filmed the moment himself in a selfie-style clip, capturing the upright-walking robot moving across the dealership's driveway alongside staff members.
Rather than looking shaken, he leaned into the comedy of it all, quipping that someone needed to charge the machine. The video, posted by X user @khal_haji on 6 August 2026, spread quickly across the platform and hit a nerve with South African viewers who were less amused than the guard.
Robot at the door
For many people watching the clip, the sight of a humanoid robot walking freely in a workplace setting was not entertaining. It was unsettling, as South Africa already carries one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, and the idea of robots stepping into roles currently filled by people is a conversation many are not ready to have.
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The robot in the video moved with a fluid, upright gait alongside dealership personnel, drawing looks from those nearby. Its presence at a commercial business is what seemed to catch viewers off guard.
Watch the robot moment that got Mzansi talking in the X video below:
Mzansi reacts with worry
Some viewers saw the clip as a glimpse of what is to come; others felt it was still too early to panic. But the fear running through the comments was real, and for a country where job security is already fragile, the sight of a robot walking through a car dealership was enough to set social media alight.
User @Clint75479577 wrote:
"While everyone is protesting the back door entrants, the front door has let in the bigger threat."
User @khethochamp1 said:
"Yoh! Our jobs are not safe, hey."
User @SbuMasang offered a different view:
"AI is still struggling to replace humans."
User @Benzempire2021 shared:
"The future's here whether we like it or not."
User @BaleMrMoreFire warned:
"We are going to lose our jobs, yoh."
User @JMadingwaneng pointed out:
"They won't go on strike; they will work 24/7."
3 Briefly News AI-related articles
- Mzansi is celebrating Dr Seani Rananga after her pioneering PhD research and developing multilingual AI to detect online misinformation in indigenous South African languages gained global recognition.
- Elihle Stali's AI-powered smart glasses for the visually impaired landed an international deal, impressing many viewers.
- A local woman impressed online audiences after sharing a clever viral trick using ChatGPT to optimise and save money on her Checkers grocery budget.
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Source: Briefly News
