In a hilarious video shared by Troy Sheperds, he shows us how Afrikaans speakers hilariously “remix” English names.
South Africa (10 October 2025) – South Africans love a good language mash-up, and nowhere is it more entertaining than the pronunciation of names. Troy Sheperds recently had everyone in stitches with his hilarious take on how Afrikaans speakers give English names a “remix.”
Troy points out that it’s not just pronunciation, it’s personality.
Let’s take a look at a few of the names he mentioned:
- David – Dawid – It’s not David, it’s Dawid, pronounced with confidence.
- Steven – Stefan – According to Troy, “You’ll never hear an Afrikaans Steven. Even if they spell it Steven, they’ll say Stefan.
- Daniel – Daniël – Split it in two: Da and niël. Simple!
- Catherine – Katharina
He does admit that this one might be an exaggeration. Forget Catherine, Katharina sounds more Afrikaans.
The video has sparked plenty of laughs online because, well, it’s true. South Africa’s mix of languages means that the same name can sound completely different depending on who says it.
Whether you’re a David or a Dawid, a Steven or a Stefan, Catherine or Katharina, there’s something special about how people add twists to make words and names their own.
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Sources: Instagram/ Troy Sheperds
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