There’s a word we often use in South Africa — Ubuntu.
“I am because we are.”
It’s more than a phrase. It’s a way of life. It’s how we celebrate. It’s how we defend. It’s how we protect our own.
South Africans are known for many things — resilience, rhythm, hope — but above all, we are known for how we love and back one of our own. Especially when they dare to dream beyond our borders.
We’ve seen it time and time again. The moment one of ours raises the flag internationally, timelines light up. Comments flood in. Admins are told, “Post him!” “Post her!” We follow, we engage, we argue with foreign fans if we must. Because when one of us wins, it feels personal.
And the latest example?
Mbekezeli “TLB” Mbokazi.
At just 20 years old, the Bafana Bafana international made a bold move to the United States to join Chicago Fire FC — and South Africa followed him. Literally.
Since Mbokazi’s arrival, more than 572,000 accounts from South Africa now follow the Fire — representing roughly a quarter of the club’s total social media audience. Let that sink in. A quarter. From one country thousands of kilometers away.
That’s not just numbers.
That’s Ubuntu in digital form.
The young defender has already featured in two official league games for the American side, beginning his journey in a new football culture, under new expectations, in a new environment. But he did not arrive alone. He arrived with 60+ million South Africans behind him.
Even Gregg Berhalter, the club’s coach and sporting director, admitted the impact caught them off guard.
“When we were evaluating the player and you hear about the player’s background, how excited people in South Africa are about him, talking about the generational talent, you start to get an understanding of it,” Berhalter said. “But to fully understand the impact and the popularity was difficult. To see that in just a flurry of engagement on the internet was somewhat surprising.” — as reported by The New York Times.
Surprising to them.
Normal to us.
Because this is what we do.
When one of ours steps onto a global stage, we don’t spectate quietly. We mobilise. We follow the page. We change bios. We wake up at odd hours to watch games. We debate performances in group chats. We defend our players like family.
That’s the power of collective belief.
Mbokazi’s move is not just a transfer. It is symbolic. It tells every young footballer in Mdantsane, in Soweto, in Khayelitsha, in Umlazi — your dreams are valid. The world is reachable. And when you get there, we will come with you.
South Africans don’t just support talent. We adopt it. We protect it. We nurture it. We hold it accountable. And most importantly — we amplify it.
In a world that can sometimes feel divided, sport continues to remind us who we are. A nation that rallies behind its own. A nation that turns social media into a stadium. A nation that understands that success is sweeter when shared.
That is Ubuntu.
And somewhere in Chicago, when Mbokazi steps onto the pitch in Fire red, he may be physically alone in that defensive line — but spiritually, he carries an entire nation with him.
Because in South Africa,
