South Africans React As Lightning Strikes in Cradock in Viral Video
- A video of lightning striking a street in Cradock in the Eastern Cape left people in stitches
- The video went viral as a member of the public captured the moment the lightning struck in the middle of the day
- Netizens roasted the reactions of a man who was trying to escape the lightning in the lighthearted video
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For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of Current Affairs, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.
Source: Getty Images
CRADOCK, EASTERN CAPE — The moment lightning struck in Cradock, Eastern Cape, during a rainy day left South Africans rolling on the floor with laughter because of the reaction of one of the onlookers in the video.
Weather content creator The Weather Hooligan posted a video of the incident, which happened on 13 February 2026. The video begins with a scene that shows a downpour. Nothing seems out of the ordinary until the moment the lightning flashes.
Lightning in Cradock terrifies a man
The video shows a minibus parked in the middle of the road. A passenger disembarks from the vehicle while the rain falls mercilessly, as the passenger rushes for cover nearby. The person operating the camera observes the happenings when, suddenly, in the corner of the video, a red light flashes before the lightning strikes with a deafening sound, shaking even the camera operator, who is recording the incident while standing by the door of an unidentified establishment.
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He seemingly loses control of the phone as he rushes inside for cover. The initial shock of the lightning subsides, and he remarks on how loud and terrifying the lightning was. He continually expresses shock, and someone in the background jokes that someone must have died from the lightning.
Watch the video on Facebook here:
South Africans react to the video
Netizens were entertained by the recorder’s antics, and some jokingly applauded his courage for recording the video.
Source: Getty Images
Dom Thusi said:
“Clearly, lightning turns men’s voices into aunties’ voices.”
Nkosi Vee said:
“The fact that he’s still recording even after the strike shows that he’s brave.”
Friedah M Molefe laughingly remarked:
“Dai man is so brave. Lightning won’t stop him from recording.”
Kristina Gubic was not surprised:
“Classic Cradock.”
Muelekanyi Amos Liswoga quipped:
“I’m sure it’s not Donald Trump trying to test ballistic missiles on us.”
3 Briefly News articles about lightning strikes
The gent in the video was lucky to survive the lightning strike. Others in South Africa were not so lucky. Two people were tragically killed when lightning struck in Limpopo on 20 November 2025. The victims were killed in two separate incidents at the Sepakapakeng and Magagamatala villages.
Three people were killed in one week in KwaZulu-Natal during separate incidents of lightning strikes. One person was killed near Ixopo on 10 February 2026, and two others were killed days later in the same region.
Two people were killed, and more than 50 people were injured during two separate lightning strike incidents on 3 January 2026 in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. Emergency services were dispatched to the area to treat those who were injured.
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Source: Briefly News
