‘It was just a joke’: TikTok sensation Ndoyisile Sibindi apologises after Mall of Africa rant backlash

Content creator Ndoyisile Sibindi faced backlash after a video of him ranting about overcrowding at the Mall of Africa went viral on social media.

The TikTok sensation, originally from Zimbabwe, has since apologised for his remarks, saying he did not mean to offend anyone.

In the video, Ndoyisile expressed his frustrations about people from Tembisa “overcrowding” the Mall of Africa.

“You want to tell me that you guys leave your mall in Tembisa, if there is a mall in Tembisa, to come and overcrowd Mall of Africa?

“People are just gallivanting and occupying the mall for no reason. It’s so uncomfortable for us who are claustrophobic.”

Ndoyisile’s remarks ruffled many feathers on social media, with some netizens even suggesting that he should be deported if he is in South Africa illegally.

Hello @HomeAffairsSA,

Kindly investigate the case of a Zimbabwean individual named Ndoyisile Ndumiso Sibindi. He entered South Africa on a study visa but has now been in the country for several years.

Cc: @Leon_Schreib pic.twitter.com/kzN3Zj5gXl

— Still 96 Baby (@ThaboTheBoy_) January 12, 2025

I saw that Ndoyisile video. It wasn’t funny. South Africans suffered Group Areas Act which led to townships like Tembisa. They weren’t allowed to be in suburbs like Midrand. For someone to suggest that people from Tembisa shouldn’t be in a mall in Midrand is insulting & classist.

— Siphumelele Zondi (@SZondi) January 12, 2025

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Ndoyisile: ‘It was just a joke’

Ndoyisile released another video apologising, adding that his initial video was intended to be humorous.

“This video is mainly to apologise to people from Tembisa who got offended by the video that is currently circulating. First things first, I’m sorry if I offended you, it was not my intention, it was just a joke.

“That video was pre-recorded from my YouTube channel, from a vlog that I posted two weeks ago,” he said in a now-deleted apology video.

The content creator said he recorded the video to let his followers know why he could not vlog at the mall as planned, explaining that it was due to overcrowding.

He also acknowledged the importance of respecting privacy laws, specifically the POPI Act, which prohibits recording individuals without their consent.

“Those words did not come from a place of being classist or suggesting that people shouldn’t go to the mall. It’s a mall, after all, people are bound to go there.

“If you follow my content, you know that it’s often filled with dry humour and sarcasm, which my audience enjoys. If people didn’t like my content, I wouldn’t be nearing a million followers.”

Setting the record straight on passport and documents

Ndoyisile also addressed questions about his nationality and the legitimacy of his documents.

“I’ve never been ashamed of where I come from. I was born and raised in Havana township in Zimbabwe. I’m proud of my roots, and I’m not hiding anything.”

Showing his passport, he added: “I don’t understand the narrative that people are trying to push on social media, and this is my passport with my last travel, which was to Swaziland. When talking about documentation, we are not talking about a bunch of papers.”

Ndoyisile's apology video.. pic.twitter.com/uMVW2AczE9

— Thato.m (@_thato454) January 12, 2025

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