A Cape Town woman’s quick KFC run turned into a chaotic street heist – and the robbers were a troop of baboons.
TikToker Athini Mayekiso (@athini_mayekiso) shared the now-viral video on 24 August 2026 with the caption “What a hectic day,” and South Africans immediately understood why.
In the clip, a bold baboon is seen casually walking up to a parked car, pulling open the passenger door while the woman is still seated inside, grabbing her KFC package, and making a run for it.
The woman tries to get out and chase after her food, but the baboon lashes out, forcing her to retreat and lock herself back inside her car. Within seconds, the rest of the troop moves in and helps themselves to the stolen feast.
Not funny, it’s a real problem. What looks funny on camera is a serious daily reality for people living in the deep south.
Baboons in the Cape Peninsula, especially around Kommetjie, Simon’s Town and Scarborough, are notorious for raiding cars, homes and bins. According to SANParks, the chacma baboons have become highly intelligent opportunists they have learnt to associate humans and cars with food and can open car doors, unzip bags and break into houses.
Authoritiesthorities have repeatedly warned residents and tourists never to leave food visible in a vehicle and never to try and fight a baboon for food.
The City of Cape Town and SANParks employ baboon rangers whose job is to monitor troops and keep them away from residential areas, but incidents like this still happen almost daily.
Mzansi reacts: “Never fight them for food!
The video has left South Africans in stitches and in shock:
“Never ever fight them for food; they could do serious harm,” warned @Nestle31za.
“It was war,” said @Lindo.
“They can open doors?” asked a stunned @Asandiswa Mzathu.
“It’s only funny because it’s not me,” wrote @Boitu☆.
“My problem is that I’d start beating them,” admitted @naynay23days.
Watch the full video below.