"Said It So Perfectly": American Expats Test Their South African Slang After 3 Years in Mzansi

• Kourtney Jade and her companion filmed themselves attempting popular South African slang phrases after three years of living in the country
• The pair tested words and phrases like 'hayibo', 'now now', 'just now' and 'hectic' to see how well they had picked up the local accent
• South Africans in the comments were quick to weigh in on which phrases they nailed and which ones still needed work

Three years of living in South Africa will do something to your accent. The two American expats decided to put theirs to the test.

Kourtney Jade posted a selfie-style video in November 2026, filming from her bedroom with a colourful tapestry backdrop. She and her companion looked straight into the camera and went through a list of South African slang words and phrases they had picked up from living in the country.

The text in the clip by Kourtney Jade read: "🇺🇸 Are we South African yet 🇿🇦?" — and that question was very much left open for Mzansi to answer. The two went through roughly ten phrases, including "hayibo", "shame", "now now", "just now", "hectic" and "pap". Each attempt came with laughter, second-guessing and a fair bit of back-and-forth between the two as they tried to get the sounds just right. At the end of the clip, they turned to the camera and asked viewers directly: "How do we do, guys? Are we South African yet?" Watch the full video and judge for yourself below:

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Mzansi weighs in

South Africans were happy to give their verdict in the comments:

Siya Thando Magantolo said:

"Lol hayibo you said it so perfectly though 😂"

Siphokazi Nomandla Holiday wrote:

"Haibo 😅😅❤️❤️"

Sipho Shongwe pointed out:

"Pap, no aspiration on the 'P'"

Thandi Trut offered a detailed breakdown:

"You absolutely nailed 'Yoh', 'Haaibo', 'Aweh' and I'll leave it to the Capetonians to judge your 'Hektik'... 'Pap' is showing you flames 😭"

Thabang Rakgantsho added:

"LMFAO I liked the Fotsek!!"

Other Briefly News stories about American expats

• American expat Kourtney Jade (@iamkourtneyjade) charmed South Africans on TikTok after admitting she falls in love with every South African city she visits within 24 hours, leaving her torn between settling in Cape Town, Durban, or Johannesburg.
• TikTok creators @that.n.family garnered widespread attention after documenting how relocating from the US to South Africa freed them from exhausting 9-to-5 financial stress and allowed both parents to stay home with their children.
• Relocated American couple @blueprintsandbloodlines went viral on Instagram after sharing an emotional tribute to South Africa’s five-language national anthem, explaining how its message of unity and Rainbow Nation heritage moves them to tears.

Source: Briefly News