“That’s a Wrong Store”: Mzansi Reacts as British Couple Mistakes Pick ’n Pay for ‘Pecan Pie’

• A British couple spent part of their flight Googling “pecan pie clothing store” on their phone, and every result that came back was exactly not what they were looking for
• Mzansi English has tripped up foreign visitors for a while, and its unique vowel shifts turn perfectly ordinary words into something unrecognisable
• Pick n Pay store stocks the affordable clothing and swimwear that finally ended their very confusing search

A British tourist’s desperate search for a swimsuit in Johannesburg turned into a state of confusion caused by a South African accent that turned a supermarket name into a dessert.

John, the man behind the TikTok account @thebamabrit, visited Johannesburg on 11 March 2026 with a travel companion called Mariah. On a flight into the city, they turned to the woman seated next to them and asked for a recommendation. Somewhere like Target or Walmart, where they can buy a swimsuit. The woman suggested Pick 'n Pay. John and Mariah heard ‘Pecan Pie’.

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From pie shops to Pick 'n Pay

They started Google searching for a clothing store called “Pecan Pie.” The results, unsurprisingly, delivered nothing but images of pies. When they asked the woman again, she repeated herself, and they still heard ‘pie’. It was only when they finally arrived at Rosebank Mall, one of Jozi’s most recognisable shopping destinations, that the penny dropped.

Mzansi English is one of the most layered accents on the planet. The country has 11 official languages, and the way English is spoken has absorbed decades of influence from multiple languages. The result is a distinct sound that regularly catches first-time visitors off guard.

Tourists across the internet have shared similar experiences. South Africans regularly describe their own accent as having “accents within accents,” with Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg each producing their own version of English.

Watch the TikTok video below:

Mzansi reacts to the confusion

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Briefly News compiled comments from South Africans who weighed in on the confusion.

@Leila🌈 commented:

“It is very brave to stand with your phone out like that in Rosebank. 😭”

@Carryn Leigh Mackay said:

“Woolworths would be better. A bit more expensive but better than Pick 'n Pay.”

@jessy-08r wrote:

“They probably meant Pick ‘n Pay clothing store, not the supermarket.”

@Lunatic🐍Jinx VN🇿🇦 noted:

“I wouldn't have said Pick ‘n Pay. Rather, Makro because they sell it all.”

@A N G E L I Q U E 🇵🇹 commented:

“There is a Walmart in the Clearwater Mall.”

@Sameera Saley Kaka said:

“That is the wrong one, it’s the Pick ‘n Pay clothing store, not the grocery store.”

More articles involving accents

• Briefly News previously reported that a learner from St. John’s College in Johannesburg gained national attention for his exceptional academic performance and plans for the future.
• The new global ranking featuring South Africa in the Top 2 nicest accents sparked widespread conversation as locals celebrated the recognition.
• A Dutch woman and a South African man compared a word in Dutch and Afrikaans, which had the woman feeling that her husband's translation was more logical than hers.

Source: Briefly News