"It's Run Like a Spaza Shop": American in South Africa Names Things USA Should Adopt, Mzansi Stunned

• An American woman living in South Africa posted a TikTok video praising SA habits the US should adopt
• She highlighted SA's smart ID system, a unique road-safety custom, and something as simple as bathroom stalls
• South Africans flooded the comments, with many joking that their country is more civilised than the US

An American woman living in South Africa has gone viral for pointing out everyday things she believes the US could learn from her adopted home. A TikToker posted the video on 16 October 2026, framing it as part four of her ongoing series about South African habits that impressed her. Filmed in a relaxed, selfie-style format, she covered three specific things that caught her attention.

Her first point was about South Africa's ID system. She explained that in the US, the closest equivalent is the Social Security card, a paper document with no photo that most Americans can barely locate. She admitted she has no idea where hers is and suspects it has long since disintegrated. In South Africa, she quickly discovered that people use their ID numbers for everything from gym memberships to library cards. She was shocked at first, but came around once she understood the logic.

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The American, @hannahbananatay on TikTok, also pointed out something she found clever: South African ID numbers encode a person's date of birth in the first six digits. When she handed over her passport number instead, locals were briefly confused because the number started with digits that made it look like she was born in 1943.

Her second observation was about driving culture. She loved that South Africans flash their hazard lights to say thank you when another driver makes way for them, and then the other driver flashes their headlights in return. She called it "the sweetest thing in the world" and said she wished American drivers would adopt it. Her third and final point was simpler: South African bathroom stalls have doors that close fully and reach the floor, something she said the US has yet to figure out. Watch the video that sparked the conversation below:

Mzansi roasts USA

South Africans had plenty to say in the comments:

@Rabi wrote:

"Honestly, America is run like a spaza shop 😭"

@Colin Ramparsadh 🇿🇦 X said:

"It seems we are more civilised than the US. 😁"

@Zanè noted:

"That sounds like a birth certificate. In SA, once you turn 16 years, you become eligible to get your ID smart card"

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@Karla joked:

"Imagine taking your whole passport to the club 😆"

@Mnigo Mniza added:

"USA is backwards yet they claim they lead in most technical fields. In which fields I wonder?"

Briefly News stories about foreigners in SA

• American TikToker @tazzytea sparked widespread debate after filming herself in a South African supermarket, questioning why fresh meat cuts and bulk seed packages lack detailed nutritional breakdowns like in the U.S.
• Expat Jasmin Hoffmann, who has lived permanently in Cape Town for over four years, went viral after sharing what she considers the single drawback of residing in the Mother City.
• TikTok creator @ariellyndsey fascinated South Africans after sharing a video comparing major local metropolitan hubs directly to well-known U.S. cities.

Source: Briefly News