“Like a Horror Movie”: SA Woman Shares Health Scare That Made Her Stop Eating Clay Soil, SA Reacts

• South African content creator @maripanyane shared a video recounting a childhood health scare linked to eating clay soil
• The habit, which she admitted to having stolen from her mother, led to a hospital visit and an unexpected medical procedure
• South Africans flooded the comments, with some admitting they too had eaten clay soil as children

A South African woman took to Instagram on 22 August 2026 to share the childhood experience that finally convinced her to stop eating clay soil. The creator, known as @maripanyane, told the story in a dramatic but candid way.

She explained that as a child, she used to steal clay soil from her mother and eat it secretly. The habit, common in some communities across southern Africa where the soil is sometimes sold in small portions, eventually caught up with her in a serious way.

At around 11 years old, she began experiencing severe constipation. Her stomach swelled noticeably, and laxatives offered no relief. When she finally visited the emergency room, doctors discovered a compacted ball of soil blocking her digestive tract, along with a parasite that had taken up residence in her body. She underwent an operation to address the blockage, while a course of antibiotics gradually cleared the parasitic infection over several weeks.

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What alarmed her most was not the constipation itself, but realising something was moving inside her and how much of a toll it took on her health.

The Pica habit many grew up with

Eating clay soil, known medically as a form of pica, is more widespread than many realise. It is particularly common among pregnant women and children, and is often linked to iron deficiency or cultural practice. In South Africa, it is sometimes sold informally in small quantities, as @maripanyane described.

Despite the ordeal, she admitted in the video that she still occasionally slips up, before adding with a laugh that she knows the consequences all too well.

View the Instagram video below:

Mzansi reacts to her clay soil confession

The video on her page struck a nerve with South Africans online, drawing laughter, sympathy and a few confessions of their own:

@ms_mosoeu said:

"Coughing worms would be the end of me."

@_justt.yasmin wrote:

"Let me send this to my sister fast fast."

@freckles_faith commented:

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"I hear you say we mustn't eat clay soil ma, but your lip combo is distracting me hle 😭❤️🔥 it's so fireeeee."

@itsluvuyo shared:

"When I was a kid, I used to think it was chocolate until I tried it 😭😭😭."

@ydds.kea_ said:

"This sounds like a horror movie 😭."

@chief_tactician advised:

"Buy iron supplements. Stop chewing ice and eating soil. 😂😂😂."

@bonolomenu laughed:

"Being human is funny sometimes…. Just when you thought you've seen it all, this shows up 😂."

More Briefly News stories on soil

• A Soweto graduate turned years of joblessness into an opportunity by starting a thriving hydroponic farm in his backyard, showing how small-scale farming can help tackle unemployment.
• Illegal mining in Limpopo has left homes at risk of collapsing as underground tunnels weaken the soil beneath residential communities, putting residents in danger.
• A young Joburg engineer built a full three-bedroom home from soil and waste materials, showcasing an innovative and affordable approach to construction.

Source: Briefly News