“Never Ask for a Bag at Woollies”: Afrikaner Shares Tips for Tourists Coming to SA in Funny Clip

“Never Ask for a Bag at Woollies”: Afrikaner Shares Tips for Tourists Coming to SA in Funny Clip

  • Content creator Stephan van de Merwe dropped a hilarious survival guide for anyone planning a trip to South Africa, and locals are saying he got it completely right
  • From how to handle a dodgy situation to finding love, his tips were oddly accurate
  • His message came with a few pointers and seemed as though it was shared in all seriousness, but left everyone laughing
A post.
A content creator and fitness coach. Images: @stefan.van.der.merwe
Source: Instagram

A funny clip from Stephan van de Merwe doing a mock tourist guide for South Africa made the rounds on Facebook on 1 May 2026. The video was shared by another page asking:

"How accurate is this?"

In the clip, Stephan walked people through what he called the essential things to know before even thinking about visiting South Africa. His first tip involved two people walking toward you with their hands behind their backs, knees bent, with a slow swagger in their step. His advice? Run. Fast.

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His second tip was about dogs, and this time the advice was the opposite. You look the dog straight in the eye and say "ey, voetsek". The way he pulled off tyhis move had many tearing up and calling him atrue South African. There was no hesitation.

He then moved on to love life advice. Stephan pointed tourists toward Dis-Chem stores. He called them the best place to meet a potential partner. Walk up to any woman, greet her as "tannie" and ask for her number in Afrikaans. According to Stephan, it works every time. Woolworths was a completely different story. he warned that whatever you do, never ask for a bag there while shopping. In a subtle way, he meanth that the price of a bag at Woollies has ended more than a few peaceful shopping trips.

His last tip was the most concerning of them all. It involved a Coca-Cola and R100 in your pocket. He said that this could get you out of almost any situation on the road. He ran away by ending with a casual:

"You didn't hear that from me."
A post went viral.
A man giving tips for tourists. Images: ohnocringesouthafrican
Source: Facebook

What tourists should know about SA

South Africa is one of the most culturally rich countries in the world, home to 11 official languages and a wide mix of traditions and customs.

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Ubuntu, the philosophy of "I am because we are," runs deep in South African society and explains a lot about why locals are so warm and community-driven.

Visitors are generally welcomed with open arms, and a braai invitation is one of the highest forms of hospitality you can receive. Picking up a few words in Zulu or Afrikaans goes a long way in building connections with locals.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

More of SA being SA

  • Briefly News recently reported on a SPAR run that turned into a full dance party after a live drummer showed up.
  • A taxi driver was filmed pulling a stunt popular in SA at the petrol station during the fuel hike that had South Africans in stitches.
  • A viral video capturing some of the most iconic South African moments had locals feeling unexpectedly emotional, and the comments showed just how much pride people still have in this country.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Nerissa Naidoo avatar

Nerissa Naidoo (Human Interest Editor) Nerissa Naidoo is a writer and editor with seven years of experience. Currently, she is a human interest writer at Briefly News and joined the publication in 2024. She began her career contributing to Morning Lazziness and later joined Featherpen.org. As a TUW ghostwriter, she focused on non-fiction, while her editorial roles at National Today and Entail.ai honed her skills in content accuracy and expert-driven editing. You can reach her at nerissa.naidoo@briefly.co.za

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