Sister Bethina turns 20: Behind SA’s unofficial anthem

Sister Bethina, the unofficial anthem of the Springboks, blared through the speakers at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, where South Africa played their rugby rivals, the All Blacks. The iconic song, recorded by artist Mgarimbe, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

The Boks won 43-28 and claimed the inaugural Greatest Rivalry series 3-1.

‘SISTER BETHINA’ ROCKS BALTIMORE

As with every Springboks match, rugby fans watching the match live in the stadium vibed to the sounds of Mgarimbe’s Sister Bethina.

The DJ played the song at the M&T Bank Stadium after the All Blacks wrapped up their performance of the Haka.

Take a look…

@whoisstella.fr It’s because of us🙈 #springboks #fypシ #rsa ♬ Sister Bethina – Mgarimbe

WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE UNOFFICIAL ANTHEM?

Sister Bethina – which was released in 2006 – is named after a fictional character from the SABC 2 series Soul City, played by veteran actress Lillian Dube. According to Mgarimbe, the song was accidentally recorded after a drunken night out.

“I just took the mic and started singing,” he told SA Music Mag.

Over the years, Sister Bethina has been played at various national gatherings. Earlier this month, the song was played when the Springboks took on Australia and New Zealand.

In 2023, Mgarimbe sampled his song on another anthem, Amabokoboko, this time commissioned by SA Rugby.