“Not Too Late to Give Up”: Zim Man’s Afrikaans Lessons Leave Mzansi in Stitches
- King of Sungura, a Zimbabwean TikToker, set himself a bold challenge to speak Afrikaans fluently within 5 months
- The man used a preschool-level Afrikaans workbook for his Day 2 lesson, struggling through the basics in the most entertaining way
- South Africans watching online could not hold back their laughter, with some sharing tips and others questioning the mission entirely
- Briefly News reached out to King of Sungura, who shared that his friend's family inspired his challenge and he aims to be fluent by 2027
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Source: TikTok
A Zimbabwean man known on TikTok as King of Sungura has set himself a mission that has South Africa thoroughly entertained. His goal is simple on paper: speak Afrikaans fluently within five months.
Day 2 of the challenge did not exactly inspire confidence
In the video, filmed inside a car, King of Sungura sits with what appears to be an Afrikaans preschool workbook open in his hands. The illustrated pages show basic vocabulary like “KOS” (food) and “KAT” (cat). Despite the beginner-level material, the sounds coming out of his mouth had Mzansi completely beside themselves.
Learning Afrikaans from scratch
King of Sungura appears to be tackling the language from the ground up. The attempt is endearing, slightly chaotic, and relatable to anyone who has ever tried to wrap their tongue around Afrikaans for the first time.
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His pronunciation had South Africans in the comments section split between offering genuine help and gently suggesting he reconsider the whole thing.
King of Sungura speaks to Briefly News
King of Sungura told Briefly News about the personal motivation driving his five-month timeline, explaining that he wants to give back to his closest inner circle.
"I'm learning because I love Afrikaans people a lot, my best friend is Afrikaans and I spend more time with his family, they speak in English to accommodate me and I don’t want them to do that for me. I also want to be able to say a speech in Afrikaans on his wedding."
He expressed confidence in his ambitious goal, believing adults can pick up languages far quicker than people assume.
"I have set myself 5 months because I realised that I’ll be learning everyday. I want to also start 2027 with a new language. I'm breaking the norm."
The TikToker revealed that the learning process is already getting much easier and that he is receiving professional backing as well as public support.
Watch King of Sungura tackle Day 2 of his Afrikaans learning journey:
Mzansi reacts to the Afrikaans challenge
South Africans flooded the comments with a mix of coaching, scepticism, and pure amusement:
@Nadia King said:
“The way you would say ‘ear’ but without the r and put a g in front. G-E-A. Remember, in Afrikaans the g must be pronounced - like your throat is itching. And pronounce ‘vir’ like you would ‘fur’. Hope this helps. 😁”
@shev_lamza wrote:
“Let Afrikaans die 😱, I failed it in school. My Zulu is better.”
@SBB Rugby suggested:
“🤣 Rather start with ‘Die Hond Blaf’” (The dog barks)
@Tumzacat observed:
“You sound French. 😱”
Whether King of Sungura reaches fluency by month five remains to be seen. One thing is certain though: Mzansi will be watching every step of the way.
More challenges that left SA in stitches
- A content creator posted a clip on 27 July 2026 doing his own version of the popular 'Siyakubongela Mzala' squat challenge.
- A South African family filmed themselves doing the popular ikhekhe dance challenge in a sunlit park and aced it.
- SPAR Greenhills in Randfontein, Gauteng shared a Facebook video featuring a playful spending challenge.
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Source: Briefly News
