Sawubona in Istanbul: South Africans meet by chance in the rain
A South African seafarer on a day off in Istanbul bumped into fellow South Africans on a rainy street, and the warm chance meeting has Mzansi feeling proud.
TikTok creator @galagain was exploring Istanbul, Turkey, on a day off when a stroll down a rainy street turned into a chance meeting with fellow South Africans. The short clip, posted on 4 November 2026 with the on-screen text "This is what happens when you meet fellow South Africans", has been watched more than 28,000 times.
According to Briefly's account of the video, the group switched easily between English and Zulu greetings like "Sobona" and "Chani". One of the travellers was from Durban and in Istanbul for work, while the person filming said they work on a ship and were off duty. The account is full of #seafererslife posts from life at sea.
Both sides were trying to find their way to the Grand Bazaar, the city's famous covered market, and ended up swapping tips on getting around with Google Maps. Viewers loved the instant connection, though a few wanted to know why there was no handshake or hug.
What the comments are saying
@thand.ow:
"South Africa 🇿🇦 to the world 🥰" (42 likes)
@.z3n87:
"South Africa’s are just a different breed of Africans… respectful and they know how to identify each other Shem! Jealous down!" (34 likes)
@user1156100936141:
"no handshake no hugging why ? 😫" (22 likes)
@ntombizonke74:
"Sawubona🥰🥰🥰" (13 likes)
@bontle_malema:
"Jacket eo🔥🔥🔥" (12 likes)
@metsing.khoabane:
"South Africans luv each other, no matter what" (6 likes)
@4kaazie:
"SA Love 🇿🇦🇿🇦" (6 likes)
@riddick77771:
"SAns are not fakes, that's why they are able to recognize themselves" (4 likes)
Video and image: @galagain on TikTok.