“Why So Long?”: Cape Town Man’s South Africa Homecoming After 16 Years Divides Mzansi

• An American woman surprised her Cape Town family by bringing her father home after 16 years
• The emotional reunion showed the family screaming and hugging when they saw him
• South Africans questioned why the man hadn't visited his mother for so long

A Cape Town man's homecoming after living in America for 16 years has got South Africans divided. The video shared by @elanawebber, his daughter, an American who posts personal content on her TikTok page, on 17 December 2025, showed the emotional moment when her father returned to Cape Town to surprise his mother for Christmas. The post was shared with the caption:

"Surprising my family in Cape Town, South Africa, after 16 years!"

The video started with the young woman at an American airport explaining that they were going to Cape Town because her dad was from there and he hadn't seen his mum in 16 years. She asked her father how excited he was to see his mum and how long it had been. He said he was very excited and mentioned it had been 20-plus years, though the caption stated 16 years. The reason why he did not visit for so many years was not mentioned. The footage showed them boarding the plane. When they finally landed, the woman said they were headed to her uncle's house for the surprise. The family members started screaming with excitement when they saw them arrive. There were lots of hugs, cheering and happy tears as everyone reunited after such a long time apart.

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The video went viral on TikTok and got over 13,000 reactions and hundreds of comments. But many people couldn't understand why the man would go 16 years without visiting his mother. Others were happy about the reunion and praised the family for making the trip.

SA reacts to Cape Town homecoming

Netizens shared their thoughts on the homecoming video on TikToker @elanawebber's page:

@clh questioned the long absence and asked:

"16 years. Who doesn't see their mum in so long😳."

@blackgirlmagic wanted answers and wrote:

"I really need to know why he didn't go home for 16 years. Honestly, I thought it was apartheid, but he left after apartheid ended 😬?"

@claudejp_solo_world_travel didn't understand:

"I never understand the 16 to 20 year absence. Travel is not that expensive."

@kayok was curious and asked:

"Why hasn't he seen his mum in that long?"

@jasmine_wilkinson loved it and wrote:

"Awesome... I'm in tears. God bless you all. Enjoy!🥲🥲❤️."

@queen_layo explained the challenges:

"Living abroad is expensive, especially with kids in college, a mortgage to pay and everyday life expenses. Add to that the limited leave days in the States, and it becomes even tougher."

@cindy welcomed them home:

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"This is so sweet after 16 years of not seeing his mum and family right in my hometown. Enjoy your visit."

Watch the TikTok clip below:

More happening during the festive season

• Briefly News recently reported on a Limpopo Christmas Day accident that killed two people and injured seven.
• A TikTok video showed a family's struggles with an empty fridge on Christmas Day, and the heartbreaking reality touched hearts online.
• Hundreds of rugby enthusiasts joined Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus for his annual Christmas morning walk in Cape Town.

Source: Briefly News