“We Have Our Own Problems”: Afrikaner Says Expat in US Reveals Tough Economic Realities

• A South African woman living in Virginia posted an emotional TikTok venting her frustration over the rising cost of living in the US
• She revealed her husband cannot afford the diesel for his dream pickup truck eight years after the couple relocated from South Africa
• South Africans in the comments debated whether life abroad is truly better than staying home

A South African expat living in Virginia, USA, opened up about the financial strain of life in America in an emotional TikTok posted on 4 November 2026. The woman, who goes by @rhonab46 on TikTok, filmed herself in her driveway and spoke candidly about the gap between the American dream and her daily reality.

She and her husband relocated to the US eight years ago, and one of his biggest goals was to own a large American pickup truck and camper. He achieved that dream, but the rising cost of diesel now makes it too expensive to drive to work, so he uses a smaller vehicle instead. She also raised frustration over a personal property tax bill of around $3,000 (R49,600), saying it felt deeply unfair for hardworking residents to shoulder that kind of burden. Her comments touched on recent election outcomes and disillusionment with government economic policies.

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When the grass is not greener

The video struck a chord with South African viewers, many of whom drew sharp comparisons between American economic struggles and the challenges back home. The comment section quickly turned into a broader conversation about politics, cost of living, and broken promises on both sides of the Atlantic.

Watch Rhona's TikTok video here.

Mzansi reacts to the Virginia venting session

For many South Africans watching, the video served as a reminder that economic frustration is not unique to any one country. South Africans in the comments had plenty to say:

@rolium wrote:

"En dis jou Trump wat die petrol prys sky high gemaak het [And it's your Trump who made the petrol price sky high]."

@Lee Bethnea said:

"Gras nie so groen aan die anderkant nie 😂 [The grass is not so green on the other side]."

@Ou oom Ed compared it to home:

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"Amerika is deur sy eie mense uit verkoop, net soos SA in 1994 [America was sold out by its own people, just like SA in 1994]."

One commenter with Chinese characters in their handle noted:

"Then they made themselves richer, and everyone else got poorer 🤑😂."

@user12344566999995 shared:

"DA is blue, EFF is red; we have our own problems to worry about. We couldn't care about American politics. You chose to run away; now fight your fights."

@Meghan added:

"Ek was baie verbaas oor Texas. Nooit gedink dit gaan gebeur nie [I was very surprised about Texas. Never thought it would happen]."

Other articles about Afrikaners in the US

• An Afrikaner refugee couple opened up about the exhausting realities of their first three months in the US, spending days off chasing administrative aid and surviving without transport.
• Two South African farm workers on the US H-2A seasonal visa programme issued an emotional video plea to Donald Trump, urging faster processing and green card pathways to end prolonged family separations.
• A South African man living in South Dakota brought authentic braai energy to the United States after a video of him dancing on a table to an upbeat Afrikaans track went viral.

Source: Briefly News