South Africans drag Tiwa Savage for apologising to African Americans on Tyla’s behalf
Nigerian superstar Tiwa Savage has come under heavy fire from South Africans after she attempted to apologise to African Americans on behalf of Grammy-winning singer Tyla. The backlash follows the heated debate around Tyla’s self-identification as Coloured rather than Black, which sparked conversations about race and cultural identity in South Africa and beyond. During a recent interview, Tiwa tried to smooth tensions by expressing regret to African Americans who were offended by Tyla’s comments, framing it as a misunderstanding tied to Tyla’s youth. However, her remarks did not sit well with many South Africans, who accused her of overstepping boundaries and undermining Tyla’s lived experience. Controversial music executive Nota Baloyi led the criticism, pulling no punches in his response. He wrote: “Nigerians will apologise for anything but being slave traders… She’s literally speaking to her victims, thanks but no thanks Tiwa. After leaking your own sextape for clout you really have tried it all, this stunt won’t work either!”
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Veteran broadcaster Penny Lebyane also weighed in, calling Tiwa’s apology disrespectful to Tyla and South African culture. “Tiwa Savage wa spita, forward disrespectful to Tyla's identity, culture, lived experience and agency she wants to score points with Americans via Tyla. She should’ve apologized to Beyoncé for the utterances she’s made in the past. Tyla did nothing that needs her to apologize.” The criticism extended beyond celebrities, with many South Africans on social media questioning why Tiwa felt the need to involve herself in a matter deeply rooted in South Africa’s racial history. One X user slammed her approach, writing: “And Tiwa Savage apologising to Americans on Tyla’s behalf? Tiwa who isn’t South African & does not possess the range or cultural experience to speak on SA race politics. She’s on there framing Tyla as ‘being young’ for standing up for her race and cultural experience. Boo.” Another added: “Everyone involved in this is dumb because why would the interviewers ask a Nigerian about South African history & racial categories and why would she answer when she clearly knows nothing about it???”
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