“Sad and Heartbreaking”: Afrikaner Refugee Opens Up About Painful Process of Leaving SA

• An Afrikaner woman based in the United States broke down while giving packing guidance to South Africans preparing to relocate abroad
• She warned that airlines enforce strict weight limits, advising people to leave replaceable belongings behind and prioritise sentimental items and official paperwork
• The tearful video touched a nerve online, prompting South Africans to open up about the heartbreak of saying goodbye to their home country

A South African TikTok creator living in the United States brought social media users to tears after sharing heartfelt and practical packing guidance for South Africans preparing to relocate abroad. The creator, posting under the TikTok handle @lifeinaustin, shared the emotional video on 30 August 2026 to offer insight to people facing the daunting task of packing their lives into suitcases.

Reflecting on her own departure, she admitted that starting over in another country is far from easy, reminding viewers that moving overseas is definitely not "all ice cream and smiles". She spoke about the grief of walking away from family homes, longtime friends, church communities, and generational roots, emphasising that saying goodbye to everything you have ever loved takes a heavy psychological toll.

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Don't pack what you can buy

Addressing the reality of airline restrictions, the creator explained that travellers are generally restricted to one 23 kg checked suitcase and two smaller carry-on bags totalling 12 kg. With such strict limits, she urged movers to be ruthless with ordinary belongings like clothes, towels, toiletries, and kitchenware, noting that those items can easily be bought upon arrival. Instead, she stressed preserving irreplaceable items like grandmother's photographs, baby pictures, and cherished keepsakes, while ensuring all vital paperwork, qualifications, passports, and chronic medications stay securely in a dedicated carry-on bag.

Watch the woman's emotional TikTok video here.

Viewers react to the creator's clip

The emotional clip resonated deeply with social media users, drawing heartfelt confessions and shared grief from fellow South Africans:

@ann commented:

"Sad and heartbreaking to leave your birth land and to make a future in another land 💔. Thank you, President Trump 🙏."

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@NICITA asked:

"Ek wil so graag immigreer, maar ek kan nie my eerste twee familie lede agter laat nie. Dis lathartig (I want to immigrate so badly, but I cannot leave my first two family members behind. It breaks my heart)."

@sara added:

"Stoppet, ons is nou besig met wegpakkery (Stop it, we are currently busy packing away our things)."

@BOSC detailed:

"Jy is regtig amazing, ek huil sommer saam, al weet ek sal maar in SA bly tot die bitter einde. Sterkte aan almal wat hierdeur gaan (You are truly amazing, I am crying right along with you, even though I know I will stay in SA until the bitter end. Strength to everyone going through this)."

@monique commented:

"We love you Afrikaners, my love."

@MyCrazyCraftyHeart84 added:

"Baie dankie vir al die informasie. Ons is nog in die heel begin van die aansoekproses. Ons weet nog nie eers of VSA ons gaan toelaat nie. 5 van my kinders sal saamkom as ons wel gaan. Kan elke persoon ’n sak pak (Thank you very much for all the information. We are still at the very beginning of the application process; we don't even know yet if the US is going to accept us. 5 of my children will come along if we do go. Can each person pack a bag)?"

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More articles about Afrikaner refugees

• An Afrikaner mother living in Mississippi marked six months abroad by reassuring anxious emigrating parents about how quickly her children adapted to American schools and picked up fluent English.
• An Afrikaner refugee couple living in the US marked their three-month milestone by documenting the exhausting reality of navigating administrative hurdles, lacking transport, and chasing government cash assistance instead of resting on their days off.
• Briefly News reported that three Afrikaner sisters starting a new life in the United States shared a video tour of their first apartment in Maryland, showcasing a bright, unfurnished multi-bedroom space with wooden floors and a private balcony.

Source: Briefly News