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Whether it be giggling in relatability, gasping at Mother Nature’s majesty in action or letting out a ‘yoh’ at scenes that could only have been captured in our homeland, there are few things in life that make us feel as united as viral videos do.

Here’s a little recap of viral videos that had Mzansi collectively feeling all the feels.

Take a look: 

If you love your job, you’ll never work a day in your life

Universally, we all wish to merge our passion and/or purpose with a source of income. How do we know it’s a universal feeling? Based on this viral video that had over 644 000 South Africans praising this gaatjie’s ‘positive’ attitude while performing his duties, we think our hunch is correct.

The video showed a white man working as a gaatjie in Sea Point, ushering passengers into the taxi and closing the door with the broad smile of a man who evidently loves their job:

@mandisa_banda I hope he’s getting his bag up!????✨?❤️☀️??? #SAMA28 #fyp #explore #capetown #mandisabanda #fy #viralvideo #viraltiktok #gaatjie #taxidriver #taxi #foryoupage #viralvideos #justforfun ♬ 原声 – bolin.live

Only in Cape Town will you see such…

You know how some people say Capetonians will always find a way?

At the start of December, an interesting video showing a Capetonian driver trying to drive a truck across the pedestrian overpass on the R300 had almost 200 000 social media users both intrigued and confused.

Suffice it to say, Cape Town was kept safe on Halloween with ‘Kasi Batman’ patrolled the streets in another viral video which had passengers and just under 300 000 social media users in stitches.

As the man approaches while a car was in traffic, the passengers inside burst out laughing and hyping him up. The man then proceeded to dance a jig in the style of Michael Jackson while imitating the caped Crusader, to the amusement of his audience.

Only in Cape Town…

@mrjazz24 Batman straight from ekasi making sure Cape town is safe #HALLOWEEN ♬ original sound – china zicina

Viral for the wrong reasons

Most recently, SABC employee Nobuntu Mkhize landed herself in pools of hot water after videos of her violent altercation on a domestic flight from Durban to Cape Town went viral across social media platforms.

The altercation involved an aggressive confrontation between Mkhize and flight attendants. It reportedly began over a dispute regarding drinks service and quickly escalated, drawing widespread attention online.

In viral videos from the flight garnering over 1.5 million views, Mkhize is seen confronting the cabin crew, with eyewitnesses noting her apparent intoxication at the time. The incident has sparked criticism from several parties, including FlySafair, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA).

@mzansiwilding #fyp #SAMA28 #capetown #dbn ♬ original sound – MzansiWilding

A few days earlier, dashcam footage of an e-hailing driver being ambushed in a robbery on Christmas Eve sparked outrage across social media platforms, with some videos having garnered over 2.5 million views.

In the video, a male suspect is seen entering the vehicle as the driver stops, brandishing a hunting knife. Moments later, a second suspect appears with another knife, followed by two more who enter from the driver’s side and rear.

The suspects demand valuables, while threatening the driver’s life before stealing his phone, speed point machine and cash.  Subsequently, the vivid display of the four suspects’ faces led to a cyberwide search for their identities. Within a few days, all four were identified. However, little news of the consequences for their action has since been reported.

Then last month, a video of a BMW driver verbally abusing a petrol attendant at a Shell service station sent social media users into an outraged frenzy, leading the BMW Car Club Cape Town (BMWCCCT) to launch an investigation.

The video, which gained almost 800 000 views, showed the driver spewing profanity at the attendant throughout the 28-second clip.

The driver, Renzo Torrente, later issued a apology. statement denying claims that he is racist, adding that he had attempted to visit the petrol station but was shown away. This, however, fell on deaf hears by many who felt he was merely backpedaling to save his reputation.

The not-so-fun side of beach days

Beach days are an integral part of the Cape Town lifestyle. One can easily spend hours on end basking in the sun, diving into the toe-numbingly refreshing sea and soaking in some mesmerising sunset views. The only problem is getting up the stairs of Clifton Beach when beach day comes to a close…

In a viral video that saw almost 800 000 viewers sighing in relatability, comedian Kevin Fraser shared what it feels like doing just that:

The treasure of good teachers

Beyond lesson plans, assessments and work schedules, the role of a teacher transcends way beyond the four walls of a classroom. In the journey of becoming the leaders of tomorrow and society members of today, teachers embody that critical point that empowers youths to be ready for their present and future.

Showing just that, a video of students from Symphony High School in Belhar surprising their beloved teacher with a prank and a gift recently went viral on social media, raking in 3.2 million views.

What appeared to be a physical fight between a group of students erupting in a classroom turns into a heartfelt montage of appreciation-showing, gift-giving and tear-inducing interactions between the teacher and her students:

@kelly_manus Today we pranked and suprised my colleague, and wow! IT WAS BEAUTIFUL ? #teachersoftiktok #school #prank ♬ what was I made for? – Instrumental – Wheeler

In another teacher-related viral video, Bruce Blaine, also known as @mnu_khaya on Tiktok, sparked intrigue with his videos, where he aims to teach viewers Xhosa.

In his viral video, he converses with a fellow isiXhosa teacher, who recently finished marking papers, as they both highlight the vital role of grammar and metaphors in the language.

With over 800 000 views, online users have praised these teachers for their dedication to embracing the language and sharing their knowledge with others.

What truly captured viewers’ attention was not just what they were saying, but how fluently they spoke isiXhosa.

@mnu_khaya #mnu_khaya #mnukhaya #xhosa #xhosawithmnukhaya #foryoupagе #learnxhosa #zulutiktok #xhosatiktok #mzansitiktok #mzansi #southafrica #southafricatiktok?? #teachersoftiktok #xhosateacher #xhosanation ♬ original sound – Mnu_Khaya

Nothing unites like music and dance

In October this year, SA’s pride and joy, Mzansi Youth Choir, rehearsed with British rock band Coldplay in New York, USA, leaving the international musicians (and the rest of us) stunned.

In the video uploaded to TikTok, which raked in 6.4 million views, both Coldplay and the choir can be heard singing We Pray, with the choir adding their South African flair in the most beautiful way.

‘When we first performed with Coldplay, we could never have imagined it would lead us to this moment for the launch of their album Moon Music,‘ the choir stated on their website. ‘From our America’s Got Talent finals performance, to singing Fix You live in front of thousands, every step felt like a dream.’

@coldplay WE PRAY rehearsals for QVC with @Mzansi Youth Choir #MoonMusic #NewMusic ♬ original sound – coldplay

Among the great anthemic South African hits like ‘Pata Pata’, ‘Weekend Special’, ‘Kaptein’, ‘Sister Bethina’ and countless yaadt mixes, lies Mandoza’s iconic ‘Nkaalakhata’.

Released in 2000, the song’s electronic beats and Mandoza’s husky voice still has South African bodies automatically grooving whenever the song comes on 24 years later. Exhibit A: Rojhey Herselman’s viral video showing off his Kwaito-styled moves that not all of us could execute so seamlessly.

The video quickly garnered over three million views:

@rojheyherselmanSkill n Litchi… ?♬ original sound – Rojhey

Need for speed

Meanwhile, in the fast lane, a video of two motorbike delivery drivers competing in a drag race not only went viral but left just over 90 000 South Africans in stitches.

The food and grocery delivery industry boomed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many consumers debating which retailer provides the fastest service.

It seems they took to the streets to resolve the debate once and for all, mano a mano:

Feeding frenzy

With a mesmerising abundance of marine life found in Cape Town, it comes as no surprise that any type of footage capturing the awe-inspiring wonders that lie beneath the surface of our oceans often gain widespread attention.

One such viral video, filmed by Kade Tame in 2021 and edited by Cape {town} Etc, transcended borders from Fish Hoek to Scotland and beyond, sweeping in just over 400 000 views.

The footage unveiled a remarkable sight – a massive gathering of dolphins and whales engaged in a ‘feeding frenzy’ near the coastline:

If the stage calls… Klein Kwagga must answer

As 2023 approached its final chapter, seven-year-old ‘Klein Kwagga’ from Mpumalanga stole the hearts of South Africans across the country thanks to his passionate performance of Bernice West’s ‘Lyfie’ on stage.

The viral video shows Dirkco Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen unexpectedly stealing the spotlight at his sister’s year-end concert, hosted by the dance school René’s Art of Dance.

It was when the schoolgoers’ siblings were invited on stage that Dirkco’s passion for dance erupted and sent the crowd – and almost 8 million TikTok users – buzzing with amused admiration for the showstopper:

@kleinkwagga1 Doen dit lyfie doen dit! @Bernice West #Dans #fun #show ♬ original sound – KleinKwagga

While viral videos often bring a source of entertainment, a lighthearted smile or a collective giggle, there are a myriad of videos that circulate on social media platforms for more serious intentions – some as a warning or to create awareness, others as was to offer an impact.

Unsavoury reactions

In December 2023, a video showing a baboon helping itself to food at Black Marlin Restaurant in Miller’s Point and eliciting unfavourable reactions from diners went viral.

In a bid to drive the animal away, a woman at the table throws a bowl of food at it and attempts to retrieve something held in its paw. This action seemed to trigger a chain reaction among the other diners, who then began hurling drinks and jugs of water at the table guest.

Amid the commotion, a man’s voice is heard, urging calm and instructing everyone to remain still. The video subsequently raised questions about the interaction between wildlife and urban spaces and the ways in which these incidents should be dealt with:

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Picture:Screenshot / @mandisa_banda /  TikTok

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