A Tanzanian actress has publicly apologised after a behind-the-scenes video showing her struggling to say an English line during a film shoot went viral.
The clip attracted widespread laughter online, especially from Kenyan social media users.
In the footage, the actress was on an outdoor set surrounded by sugarcane, with cameras, lights and other film equipment visible.
She was trying to deliver the line, “You know I got homesick,” but repeatedly pronounced it incorrectly “You know I galla homesick”.
A crew member translated the intended meaning into Kiswahili as, “Unajua nimepamisi nyumbani,” to help her understand the line.
Despite several retakes and encouragement from director Bayo Vantane and other crew members, she still found it difficult to say the phrase correctly.
The video later spread on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. Many Kenyan users turned it into a source of jokes, teasing Tanzanians over their English pronunciation.
The actress later responded to the criticism and admitted that the moment had embarrassed her. She said she felt she had let down fellow Tanzanians after the clip became a major topic online.
Commenting on the reactions from Kenya, she wrote, “Wakenya wametucheka sana,” which means, “Kenyans have laughed at us a lot.”
She then issued a public apology for the fumbled line rather than ignoring the viral moment.
The incident has renewed discussion about Tanzania’s education system and the place of English in the country.
It is reported that Kiswahili is the main language of instruction in public primary schools, while English is taught as a compulsory subject.
For many years, Tanzania’s official policy stated that English should be the medium of instruction from secondary school onwards.
However, Kiswahili remains deeply rooted in daily life, government, media and learning, meaning many Tanzanians grow up more confident in Kiswahili than English.
The actress is not the first Tanzanian celebrity to face criticism over English. Bongo Flava star Diamond Platnumz has also gone viral several times after struggling during English interviews.
In one incident in Europe, Diamond appeared confused when a TikToker asked him to introduce himself. He needed the question repeated, and his publicist eventually stepped in to end the interview.
He was also criticised after responding to American singer Jason Derulo’s question about when he arrived in town by saying, “Second right? Second in the morning.” In another moment, he reportedly said, “I’m 31st,” when asked about his age.
In 2018, Diamond admitted his difficulty with English after his daughter asked him a question in the language. He said, “This is the hair, I do not know how to explain it in English my friend, my English is not good.”