“Very Interesting”: Afrikaner Man Questions Identity After Ancestry DNA Results, SA Debates
- A man sparked a massive online conversation after publicly rejecting his Afrikaans identity based on DNA and history
- In a post on Facebook, he revealed that his ancestry in 42% English, despite being raised in a reputable Afrikaans environment
- Social media users flooded the comments to debate the definition of identity, with some citing language and others pointing to a shared African brotherhood
Source: UGC
A deeply personal post shared on February 9 2026, went viral after the content creator questioned the foundation of what it means to be Afrikaans in 2026.
The post was shared by Rian van der Linde and reshared on Facebook under the account Cape Historical Society, sparking a massive debate about the true meaning of being an Afrikaner.
Growing up in the heart of the Free State and attending elite Afrikaans schools like Grey College, Rian has always believed his identity was set in stone. A recent discovery of his genetics and history, however, led him to a radical conclusion: he is stepping away from the label entirely.
The DNA surprise and historic roots
Rian’s journey began with an ancestry DNA test that shattered his lifelong assumptions. Despite a well-documented Voortrekker lineage through his mother’s family, the post shared on the Facebook account of the Cape Historical Society detailed that his genetic makeup revealed he is 42% English, outweighing his 18% Dutch markers. Ancestry. The post garnered massive views, likes, and comments from viewers, mostly fascinated by the small percentage of Indian and African blood in his results. Many noted that the small percentages of Indian and African blood in his results suggest a diverse lineage that contradicts traditional narratives. One African viewer welcomed him as a brother born on the continent. Some agreed that being Afrikaans is a choice rather than an ethnicity and argued that the identity is strictly tied to one's first language.
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Source: UGC
User @Merle M Frankfort commented:
"You definitely mixed the small percentage of Indian and African blood tells us there was a time in your lineage you had interracial marriages."
User @Simon Ntsika James added:
"You are African, my brother. That's all I know. If you are born on this continent, then you're my brother."
User @Tine Ros shared:
"This was a really good read. You set my brain off on all sorts of interesting pathways."
User @Shaun Onverwacht said:
"Rian Van Der Linde, thanks for sharing this. I have had two work colleagues who were English first-language speakers who also had heavy Afrikaans accents. It was quite puzzling! However, this might not even be uncommon. Shows how little we know of each other."
User @Marina J. M. Coetzee commented:
"A very fascinating subject and something that will stay with me. I agree that being Afrikaans is not an ethnicity. It doesn't make sense at all. Having been raised in its culture doesn't mean I have to identify with it. I have been reading both your articles and all the comments. Very interesting indeed."
User @Elnie Laker added:
"Afrikaans means that your first language is Afrikaans. Full stop."
3 Briefly News articles about Ancestry DNA
- A young South African woman shared her DNA ancestry results, revealing a blend of Southern Bantu and Khoisan lineage, sparking an online debate about the origin of the San people.
- An American man in a relationship with a South African woman shared his DNA ancestry results, which traced a blend of 14 ethnic groups, stunning many viewers.
- A local woman's ancestry breakdown included percentages from the Khoisan, Southwestern India, Germanic Europe, Maritime Southeast Asia, and various African regions, stunning online viewers.
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Source: Briefly News
