The study examines the use of humour by South Africans on social media, especially TikTok, in addressing serious and politically charged topics. It focuses on how humour was employed in response to Donald Trump's offer of "refugee status" to white Afrikaners, an event that led to widespread satire, mockery, debate, and cultural commentary online. The study examines user-generated content on TikTok from January to June 2025, focusing on public reactions through videos, captions, and hashtags such as #WhiteRefugees, #TheGreatTsek, and #MzansiHumour. Using qualitative content analysis, it investigates how South Africans employ humour as a discursive strategy to engage in socio-political discussions, critique, and reclaim narratives. By sampling popular and viral content, the study highlights the unique use of humour by South Africans as a tool for resistance and coping in socio-political discourse, contributing to the literature on humour in politically charged contexts.

Authors:
Phumudzo Ratshinanga, University of South Africa, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Phumudzo Ratshinanga is a junior lecturer at Unisa. Her research interest is in integrated organisational communication, social media and brand communication. Currently she just completed reworking a book chapter- "Integrated Communication"

See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule

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