“Pets Are Family”: Dog Becomes Star After Groom’s Family Gifts It During Umembeso, SA in Stitches

• A bride’s family dog got called forward during umembeso and received its gifts like the rest of the family members
• The attendees' shocked and joyful reactions turned the moment into a viral celebration of animal love, all caught on TikTok
• Social media couldn’t stop laughing and praising the gesture, calling it adorable, funny, and heartwarming at the same time
• Briefly News spoke with Lindubuhle (Lindo) Ngcobo, a Zulu man from KZN, about the viral umembeso moment and the gifting of the dog

During an umembeso, a traditional gathering of gift exchanges, the event went from wholesome to hilarious when the groom brought gifts to his in-laws, including their dog, Ben 10.

The moment was shared on TikTok by @excellmediarsa, and the video went viral, attracting massive views, likes, and comments from social media users who loved what they were seeing.

Ben 10 gets umembeso gifts

In the middle of the cultural gift-giving moment, a lady allocating the items to their owners called for Ben 10, not a person, but the family dog. The dog casually showed up in the tent full of people like a celebrity entering the scene. Without missing a beat, two blankets were placed neatly on his back as if he were royalty.

The shocked crowd went wild, clapping, laughing, and letting out loud reactions. After receiving its gifts, the dog walked away, and when one blanket's length was about to touch the ground, the one guy fixed it and placed them both securely again.

The dog steals the show at umembeso

The Briefly News team spoke with Lindo to get his take as a proud Zulu man on the cultural significance, humour, and unexpected joy that came from this memorable doggy moment.

We asked Lindo his view of the dog being gifted during umembeso from a cultural perspective. He responded:

"Honestly, it was beautiful and funny at the same time. In our culture, we show respect through gifting, so including the dog means he’s part of the family. It also means that the man values every member of the family, and that includes their pet. That’s love, man."

We asked Lindo if he thinks more families will start including pets in ceremonies now. The man shared:

"Yes and no! Some families might definitely do it, especially those who see their pets as part of the family. But others might stick to tradition and honour umembeso as the gifting of human beings only. It depends on the household and how open they are to blending culture with modern life. Ben 10 might have opened the door for many dogs to be acknowledged."

When asked if including a dog in a ceremony like umembeso changes how people see tradition. Lindo said:

"Definitely! It shows that tradition isn't stuck in the past; it can grow with us. Some people might see it as silly, but others see it as love. If the family values that dog, why not honour it too?

It doesn’t take away from the culture, it just adds a personal touch. It made people laugh and feel good, that's also part of what tradition and celebrations such as umembeso should do."

SA reacts to Ben 10's gifts

The clip went viral, attracting 1.3M views, 97.5K likes, and 5.8K comments from social media users who were amused and entertained by the clip. The comments were on fire, with jokes flying left and right about how Ben 10's dog squad wouldn't believe his glow-up.

Some said the dog deserves its seat at the family table, while others admired the thoughtfulness of including him in a cultural moment. Animal lovers were hyped to see pets being treated as equals, saying the dog was living his best life.

User @Ika said:

"Ben 10’s friends won’t believe him😭😭."

User @Faith commented:

"Love it when pets are recognised as family members ❤️."

User @Malumekazi la_Gama added:

"Oh, wagged his tail🥰😭❤️he's happy. Guys, pets are family too, hawu."

User @💞 Zee Darling shared:

"I think it's not that deep. Umkhwenyana ukhombisa abasekhweni ukuthi uzomnakekela umkakhe aze anakekele ngisho nenja yakubo (the man is probably showing that he'll take care of the wife and their dog too), meaning akasoze aswela (she won't need anything), it's a game nje it's not that deep🥰🥰."

User @TKondowe_ said:

"My man better remember my dog because that’s my son😭."

User @Siphelele MGABISA added:

"South Africa is a movie 😂."

Watch the TikTok video below:

3 Briefly News articles about dogs

• A Johannesburg family shocked many online users after throwing a beautifully decorated funeral for their late dog, which resembled a human service.
• An animal-loving guy bought his dog Bobby, a 21-piece KFC barrel, in celebration of its birthday, leaving social media users stunned.
• German car manufacturing company Mercedes-Benz custom-made a wheelchair for a legless dog that was involved in a car accident and lost its rear legs.

Source: Briefly News