Thando Thabethe with Mama Joy Chauke in Mexico.
Image: Screenshot/TikTok
Thando Thabethe is among the South Africans turning up the energy in Mexico City as excitement builds ahead of Bafana Bafana’s highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against hosts Mexico..
The actress and radio personality posted a video on TikTok on Thursday, June 11, with Joy “Mama Joy” Chauke.
The beloved South African personalities were upbeat, sharing light-hearted moments and soaking in the electric atmosphere in Mexico City as excitement builds ahead of kickoff.
In the video, Thabethe says in reference to Chauke: “Many thought she was not going to make it to the World Cup but she’s here, she’s here in Mexico.”
Mama Joy then affectionately greeted her with a “yes baby” and a big hug as she donned full South African regalia, including a Bafana Bafana T-shirt and a flag draped over her shoulders, proudly announcing: “I am here.”
She then joked: “They think I’m not here, they think it's AI and it’s me, Mama Joy.”
She also told Thabethe that her husband, Papa Joy - French national Nicolas Pitaud, whom she married in a traditional Xitsonga ceremony in September 2024 - did not accompany her to Mexico.
Laughing off online speculation, she added: “They see me with a Mexican guy, they think it’s Papa Joy,” explaining that she simply met him at the airport.
“He said, ‘I know you, I thought you weren’t coming,’ and I said, ‘no, I’m here’.”
In addition, Thabethe also shared a video showing members of the Bafana Bafana squad, including Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena.
Thabethe’s rumoured partner, sports broadcaster Robert Marawa, is seen greeting the players in the video while wearing a Bafana T-shirt.
She has also been sharing travel content from Mexico City ahead of football-related World Cup festivities and Bafana Bafana-linked events.
Apart from Thabethe, Mama Joy and Marawa supporting Bafana in Mexico, scores of other South Africans have also been spreading the love in the North American country.
On social media, South Africans are seen partying in Pachuca, the Mexican city where tonight’s opening game will be played.
In a video uploaded to TikTok by @thelatinoboyz, South Africans proudly sporting Bafana Bafana jerseys and waving the national flag are seen dancing to an Mzansi remix of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love.”
In one moment, a Mexican spectator appears surprised that the South African group even brought a DJ with them.
“The South Africans are partying with the Mexicans, they brought a DJ too!” a man believed to be from Mexico says in the clip.
South African's flooded the comments section, including @_miss_q2🇿🇦 who wrote: "Of course we brought a dj 🤦🏾♀️😂😂😂."
@LadyT🇿🇦 commented: "Soccer is about uniting people. We South African understand that language very well," while @This is Owen added: "We might not win this world cup as SA🇿🇦🇿🇦but we definitely are a good,loving vibing country 😭😭🥰🥰🥰🇿🇦🇿🇦🤘🤘🙏."