“Don’t Stop”: SA-Born Entrepreneur Dirk Van Reenen Speaks Afrikaans After 3 Decades in America

• South African expat Dirk van Reenen went viral after showing that he can still speak fluent Afrikaans despite living in the United States for 30 years
• He admitted that while he regularly chats with his mother, his vocabulary can get slightly rusty without daily practice with others
• Other South African emigrants flooded the comments to share their own humorous struggles with retaining their mother tongue abroad

For many South Africans living abroad, holding onto their native tongue becomes increasingly difficult over decades spent immersed in a foreign culture. US-based expat Dirk van Reenen proved that old habits die hard after sharing a video addressing a question he frequently receives: whether he can still speak Afrikaans after three decades away from home.

"Ja, nee, ek kan nog lekker praat"

Keeping roots alive across the Atlantic

Taking to Facebook, Dirk van Reenen responded to his curious followers by seamlessly switching into fluent Afrikaans on 2 November 2026. While he acknowledged that his conversational range is somewhat limited because he mostly chats with his mother about familiar family matters, he confessed that a little more practice never hurts. Captioning his video, he quipped: "After 30 years in the US, yes, I can still praat Afrikaans 😉. Sometimes it’s a bit rusty, but it comes back quick!"

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Watch the Facebook reel below:

Mzansi expats relate in the comments

The candid clip resonated deeply with South Africans around the globe, prompting fellow expats to reflect on how much of their language skills they have managed to preserve over the years.

@Denis Naidoo wrote:

"Don't stop."

@Winnie Van Der Merwe commented:

"I was born and raised by an English mother; I've been in the USA for more than 22 years; I speak more Afrikaans here than I did in SA; I’m married to an Afrikaans Saffa."

@Johann Barnett shared:

"I've been in Canada for the last 32 years, and yes, I can still speak Afrikaans too, but strangely I do get moments when I have to slow down and think before I speak. That scares me, 😬."

@Judy Steigleder Deale said:

"50 years in the USA with no one speaking Afrikaans. I applaud your Afrikaans!"

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@Jill Kennedy Haefner added:

"I've been in the USA for many years, and my Afrikaans is rusty except for when I'm angry. Then I'm fluent 🤣!"

@Eileen Bell wrote:

"I lived in Australia for 18 years, and when I have to vent (I am of English background), I revert to my Afrikaans words - e.g. Gatvol (fed up)!"

3 Briefly News articles about Saffas in the US

• An Afrikaner couple who relocated from South Africa to the United States under a refugee resettlement programme shared a virtual tour of the spacious, unfurnished Texas apartment serving as their family's fresh start.
• An Afrikaner family who relocated from Pretoria to Denver moved Mzansi viewers after sharing an emotional video reflecting on their longing for South Africa alongside a poignant Afrikaans anthem.
• An Afrikaner family from Gqeberha celebrated six months in Texas after the mother landed a managerial role, reflecting on how living in America showed them just how much of life they had been missing out on back home.

Source: Briefly News