Once upon South African Storytelling

Once upon a time, long before scrolling through TikTok feeds became a daily ritual, South Africans gathered in kitchens, at Groove, and under the wide Highveld sky, around fires, under the shade of a tree, or in communal circles to share stories. Oral traditions entertained and preserved culture. They taught moral lessons and created a sense of community that was as much about listening as it was about speaking. Tales of bravery, mischief, and ancestral wisdom were passed down from generation to generation, ensuring that knowledge, humour, and values endured.

Fast forward to today, and the same fire burns, only now it flickers through screens. Scroll TikTok for five minutes and you’ll find a familiar rhythm: humour, exaggeration, call-and-response, repetition. In a sense, TikTok is not new at all. It’s the digital reincarnation of oral traditions, a place where South African storytelling continues to thrive, evolve, and inspire.

For marketers, this early form of storytelling holds a powerful lesson: humans are wired to connect through narrative. Facts alone rarely inspire action, but stories? They resonate across time and culture.

Chapter 1: The First Stories Told by Firelight

South Africa’s storytelling is as diverse as its people, from ancient San trickster tales and isiXhosa iintsomi, to the rhythm of praise poetry, the drama of township theatre, Cape Malay parables, and even ghost stories whispered in Afrikaans homes. Different forms, same purpose: to teach, to entertain, and to connect. These weren’t just stories; they were living libraries, passed down from generation to generation. They carried both wisdom and warmth, a sense of community that is still the heartbeat of South African storytelling.

If oral traditions were the original social media, then praise poets and griots were the first content creators. These entertainers curated reputations, set cultural trends, and mastered audience engagement. Each story, song, and performance shaped perceptions and reinforced social norms.

Today, modern influencers, content creators, and brand storytellers perform much of the same role. Platforms have changed, from firelight circles to feeds, and the scale has expanded exponentially. Yet the core principle remains: storytelling is how humans share experiences, values, and lessons.

Chapter 2: Tell Old Tales: Evolving into TikTok

Oral storytelling is humanity’s oldest form of communication. Long before marketing decks, billboards, or brand films, communities relied on spoken word to share experiences, preserve histories, and build belonging. South African storytelling has always had distinctive features that make it unforgettable.

Call-and-response in oral storytelling mirrors TikTok’s comments, duets, and stitches, creating participation and interaction. Repetition for rhythm and memory translates into trending audios and challenges. Moral and social lessons, once shared orally, now appear in bite-sized content, whether life hacks, health tips, or social commentary. And the storytellers themselves are still culture-keepers, shaping trends, humour, and collective memory.

In essence, the scroll is the new circle, and the For You Page is the new firelight. These are spaces where stories aren’t just told, but shared, remixed, and celebrated.

Chapter 3: From Fireside to Feed

If the fire was once the gathering place, TikTok is today’s village square. Instead of people huddled under starlight, we gather under the glow of our phones, scrolling through short-form videos that feel strikingly familiar.

Dance challenges are the chants of our time. Storytimes mirror oral anecdotes, with one storyteller captivating the crowd with a personal twist. Duets and stitches? Digital call-and-response, with people adding their voices, interpretations, and occasional nonsense commentary.

What’s uniquely South African is how we bring our flair. Skits are layered with satire. Slang, from “yoh!” to “haibo!”, lands with punchlines only Mzansi can deliver. TikTok exaggerates, remixes, and sparks laughter in a way that echoes fireside tales, sometimes leaving viewers wondering, “Did that really happen… or is this just SA humour?”

Chapter 4: Old Wives’ Tales to Viral Campaigns

Every South African grew up with old wives’ tales: “Don’t whistle at night, or the snakes will come,” or “Rub Vicks on your feet to cure anything, even a broken heart.” They were cultural hacks, blending myth, memory, and a touch of theatre.

On TikTok, these tales haven’t died; they’ve actually gone viral. Think of it as today’s folk remedies, only now it’s beauty hacks and life tips shared with lab coats, hashtags, and a wink. The Vaseline Verified campaign tested these viral beauty tips in a lab with successful hacks earning a playful yet valid “Vaseline Verified” seal. The ones that didn’t work were debunked with humour, science, and a wink to the audience.

It was community storytelling meets brand authority. It celebrated creativity, versatility, and curiosity, and swept Cannes 2025, winning a Titanium Lion, two Grand Prix, and a shelf full of Golds and Silvers. Proof that even old wives’ tales can find new life and new audiences in the digital age, without the sticky floors or vinegar smells.

Chapter 5: Rock Art Transformed into Reels

Storytelling has always evolved. From prehistoric cave paintings to oral traditions, radio dramas, television, YouTube, and now TikTok, the medium shifts, but the impulse stays the same: share, teach, entertain, and connect.

Visual storytelling now complements oral rhythms. User-generated content mirrors communal participation. Digital trends replicate repetition and suspense. The story adapts, but the human connection and the occasional punchline endure.

Chapter 6: The Power of Storytelling in Modern Marketing

Modern marketers often drown in data, chasing clicks and impressions. But people don’t remember statistics; they remember stories, and preferably ones that make them smile. Storytelling in marketing:

• Humanises experiences: Just as oral tales made ancestors relatable, marketing stories make brands feel like people, occasionally clumsy, occasionally brilliant.
• Builds community: Oral storytelling invited participation; TikTok thrives on the same collaborative energy.
• Blends truth and imagination: Oral tales weren’t always factual, but they were memorable. Marketing doesn’t need to be literal; it needs to resonate, and maybe get a laugh.

South African brands that lean into humour, rhythm, and metaphor connect deeper than polished perfection ever could.

Chapter 7: What Brands Can Learn from Our Roots

South Africa’s storytelling heritage offers marketers several timeless lessons:

1. Relatability: Stories anchored in personal experience resonate more deeply than abstract concepts.
2. Performance: How a story is delivered matters; tone, timing, and drama capture attention.
3. Community: Engaging audiences in participatory storytelling builds loyalty and amplifies reach.
4. Cultural Fluency: Understanding local roots and context ensures authenticity and trust.

The brands that succeed aren’t just broadcasting messages; they’re creating spaces for stories to live, breathe, and evolve with their communities.

The Final Chapter: Heritage Transformed into Hashtags

From firesides to For You Pages, South African storytelling is alive and evolving. We don’t just share content; we build community. We don’t just explain the world; we reimagine it, sometimes with dance, sometimes with satire, sometimes with an exaggerated claim that your uncle definitely did not catch a 10kg fish with one hand.

For marketers, the takeaway is clear: honour the roots, understand the rhythms, and craft stories that connect. Storytelling is humanity’s oldest technology, and it will always be relevant.