A Prayer Many Makotis Know
One evening in September 2025, a video quietly appeared online. In it, an Asian woman, dressed in traditional Zulu attire, closed her eyes and began a prayer in Zulu. Her request? “As a makoti, may I be invisible to my mother-in-law, especially when she wants tea. Let her see her own daughter.” It struck a chord.
Within hours, the clip was everywhere. It racked up over 29,000 reactions, was shared across Instagram and Facebook, and ignited the comment sections across Mzansi with nods, laughter, and tears: a full spectrum of responses.
Speaking Zulu, and Speaking Truth
This woman isn’t a tourist of South African culture. She lives here. She embraces Zulu. In speaking the language fluently, she showed more than respect; she wove herself into a daily rhythm many understand: the dance between love, obligation, humour, and personal space.
The words she spoke felt familiar to many makotis (daughters-in-law). She tapped into the idea that sometimes invisibility feels like the kindest act. Let her (the mother-in-law) not remember me when she wants something. Let her see her own child first. Let me quietly fulfil my role without needing to be seen.
Mzansi’s Reaction: Laughter, Empathy, Solidarity
As expected, the comments didn’t hold back. Many women posted hearts and “amen.” Some laughed. “Mute her prayers,” one joked. Others got serious. “We omakoti, we see you.” Many praised the woman for her courage and humour, for making visible what many feel but seldom say.
Beyond humour, the video also spotlighted deeper dynamics common in South African households. Makotis often carry the load of caretaking, housework, and bridging two families. That tension between being seen and blending in is real.
Cultural Threads We Often Miss
To understand this fully, we need to see how “makoti” exists in South Africa. It’s not just a daughter-in-law. It’s a role, a negotiation. A makoti is expected to honour traditions, sometimes leave her birth family, and often care for her in-laws. Many makotis learn local languages and customs; in doing so, they negotiate identity and belonging.
In this case, a woman from outside a traditional Zulu background used the language and the role to speak from inside. Her prayer didn’t alienate. It invited.
A Fresh Angle: Singing the Unspoken
Here’s what I believe the video does beyond viral clicks: it gives melody to the unspoken. It turns exhaustion, hope, respect, love, boundaries, invisibility, and all soft, messy things into a rhythm that others can join. When she prays, she’s not just asking. She’s singing a line many know by heart.
The video’s popularity shows how deep the connections run. It’s not about where you come from. It’s about whether you’ve sat late polishing dishes, whether you’ve apologised for being late to tea, and whether you’ve whispered, “I don’t want to upset her.” Many women heard themselves in those lines.
What Remains After the Video
When the viral moment fades, what lingers is a question: How do we make space for makotis, especially those bridging cultures, to be seen and heard and also to disappear a little when they need rest?
In South Africa’s rich, layered households, where many languages mix and where heritages meet, perhaps the best gift is not invisibility. Maybe it’s empathy, respect, and the freedom to pray in whatever tongue feels true.
Source: Briefly News
Featured Image: iStock
