What is the ‘No DNA, just RSA’ catchphrase that accompanies South Africa’s sporting triumph

No DNA, Just RSA, loosely means that success doesn’t hinge on genetics or what you are born with, but greatness is accessible to those that work hard and stay united. It has been riffed off for myriad occasions of African triumph (including a Miss Universe victory) emphasising that hard work and dedication in times of adversity, can make up for all that is naturally lacking – be it power or financial prowess.

It fell neatly into the triumph tale where rank underdogs South Africa beat mighty Australia for their first big WTC title. The hashtag popped up, though posters are expected to make their way when the Proteas are received home on Wednesday.

The term has hilarious but circuitous origins. According to iol.za.com, “The term “No DNA Just RSA” appears to have been derived from a claim that was allegedly made by former United States President Donald Trump in 2020 after giving a video update on his recovery when he contracted the coronavirus. Later it turned out to be untrue as the subtitles on the video were fake, this did not stop social media from running with it and that is how popular X user @Kay_Mahapa switched it up to “No DNA just RSA”.

The doctored fake video had Trump claiming there was no blood running through his veins, “No DNA, But USA.” There is no evidence of him saying such a thing.

However, South Africa (RSA) Twitter user Karabo Mahapa switched it up to say, ‘No DNA, Just RSA’. iol.za claims that Mzansi (Saffer) teams ever since have had followers raise this banner, taking pride in their successes.

“Springbok fans, in particular, embraced the slogan during South Africa’s Test match against the All Blacks at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town. Pictures of jubilant supporters captioned with the phrase flooded social media, cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon,” according to Pondoland Times.

It keeps surfacing at various venues when Laura Woolvaardt’s women’s team reached the cricket world cup final, when Bafana Bafana play, when the relay team medalled at Worlds andeven on social media when a pair of South Africans won sheep shearing world titles at the Golden Shear.

Olympics, Paralympics and Springboks games, and now Proteas, have seen this become a patriotic rallying cry to both fans and athletes, piggybacking Twitter trends.

“The phrase “No DNA, just RSA” is a shorter, sharper version of “Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie” (They don’t know what we know), which also reflects South Africa’s unique history and the mindset of its people. It emphasizes the idea that South Africans are able to achieve great things despite facing challenges and not having the same inherent advantages as others,’ according to Cricinfo.