“It’s a Tokoloshi”: Man Publicly Flaunts His Aquatic Mythological Entity Companion
- A South African man went viral after publicly sharing photos of what he claimed was an aquatic mythological companion
- The unusual, gory and scary images sparked mixed reactions online, with some believing and others calling it fake
- Social media users debated whether the figure was real, AI-generated, or linked to traditional beliefs that should be kept private
A South African man has left social media users stunned after posting images of what he described as his aquatic mythological companion, with many quickly identifying the figure as a tokoloshi.

Source: TikTok
Shared on 17 April 2026, @glad_.rsa shared pictures posing alongside a small, eerie-looking figure with skeletal features, giving tokoloshe vibes. In South African folklore, a Tokoloshe is often described as a small, mischievous and sometimes malevolent spirit believed to be sent to cause harm or mischief.
The creature is typically portrayed as short, humanoid, and supernatural, with stories passed down through generations warning of its ability to disturb households or bring bad luck. Some believe it can even become invisible or be summoned through spiritual practices, depending on the version of the story.

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Mzansi reacts to bizarre tokoloshi claim
While some viewers were convinced the post was AI, others weren’t so quick to dismiss it, pointing to long-standing cultural beliefs around the tokoloshi. That cultural context is what made the viral post hit differently. A few even warned that sharing such images online could be risky, especially if linked to spiritual practices.
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At the same time, many netizens leaned toward a more modern explanation, suggesting the figure could be AI-generated or edited for shock value. With the rise of realistic digital tools, many argued that not everything seen online should be taken at face value. The pictures shared by user @glad_.rsa left Mzansi traumatised. Briefly News reached out for comment and there was no response at the time of publication.

Source: TikTok
Check out the TikTok post below:
Here’s what netizens said
Sego_nka asked:
“Keng? O swaregile? Translation: What is that? Are you serious?”
Charlotte asked:
“Aquatic mythological what what… is that a tokoloshe?”
Donomique wrote:
“They no longer hide them.”
Keamogetswe Mathebe wrote:
“Date cancelled, bafazi, you’re sleeping with a tokoloshe.”
Sego wrote:
“There’s no aquatic companion, you’re doing witchcraft.”
Mase wrote:
“This is why Felicia’s dad switches off the WiFi.”
UppityEntitledEntrepreneur wrote:
“Come get ready with my aquatic mythological companion and me as we go on the night shift.”
Collen wrote:
“It doesn’t matter which English you use, tokoloshe will always be tokoloshe.”
Kayla wrote:
“I claim no negative energy in Jesus’ name.”
Hlokwalatsela Portia wrote:
“I hope it’s AI.”
Somila_Didi wrote:
“I want to go through his profile, but I’m scared.”
3 Other Briefly News stories related to tokoloshe
- A TikTok prank in a taxi left passengers stunned when the prankster pretended to speak to a tokoloshe, creating a mix of fear and laughter.
- An illustrator in a TikTok video showed a product that left people in stitches, as it was concerned with the supernatural; with some saying it's a tokoloshe.
- A funny social media video of a tokoloshe prank received a lot of love from the online community in South Africa, sparking reactions.
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Source: Briefly News
