‘It’s How We Roll’: SA Reacts As Australian Immigrant Says Mzansi’s Warmth Made Her More Friendly
- Australian-German immigrant Louisa Mac Queen shared a video on Instagram about what she loves most about South Africans
- Mac Queen said her children roll down their car windows to high-five security guards every morning on the way to school in SA
- South Africans and fellow expats flooded the comments to share how the country’s warmth had changed them
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Source: Instagram
An Australian woman living in South Africa has taken to Instagram to express just how much the country’s people have changed her outlook on life. Louisa Mac Queen, who is of Australian and German heritage, posted the video on 7 September 2026, and it quickly struck a chord with locals and expats alike.
In the post, Mac Queen described a warmth in South Africans that she said felt genuinely contagious. She spoke about small, everyday moments that had come to mean a great deal to her, including how her children had made it a morning habit to roll down their car windows and high-five security guards on the way to school.
Ubuntu lived out loud
Mac Queen said she believed the South African concept of Ubuntu, meaning “I am because we are,” was not just a saying in the country but something she watched people live out daily. She noted that people smiled, chatted, sang, danced and greeted one another freely, often without any regard for how much or how little they had.
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“There’s just something about the joy and friendliness of South Africans that I hope I never stop noticing,” she wrote in her caption.
Watch Louisa’s original Instagram post below.
Mzansi reacts to the tribute
The post resonated widely, drawing responses from South Africans at home and abroad, as well as other expats who shared similar experiences:
@allishonhattingh said:
“South Africans are the friendliest people. ❤️"
@andrewking84 wrote:
“Never a truer word spoken. I’m an Aussie and I love South Africa. Respectful, friendly and love their country. Beautiful country. 😊"
@andrew.jeremy.m added:
“South Africans take a lot of credit for this but this is very much the same in most African countries."
@the_babelas_07 joked:
“We aren’t friendly. People from other countries are just rude. 😅"
@clairebear_sa shared a bittersweet thought:
“As a South African new to the UK, I’m struggling with how coldly my friendliness is received 🥺 I worry it’ll make me less friendly the longer I spend here."
3 more articles about immigrants in SA
- A Canadian woman who relocated to Cape Town shared a video about her decision to leave Canada for South Africa.
- A Canadian woman living in South Africa has shared the cultural differences that shocked her the most after relocating.
- A white South African woman who immigrated to the US as a teenager is pushing back against the refugee label being given to white South Africans.
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Source: Briefly News
