Why Tyla was accused of shoplifting: the video and the snacks that sparked it

Grammy Award-winning singer Tyla told a story during the South African Snack Challenge on the Elle UK YouTube channel about being wrongly accused of shoplifting as a child.

What happened in the video

In a YouTube clip the article says has over 400,000 views, Tyla ranked nine popular South African snacks from best to worst. While discussing her choices she recounted a childhood incident involving a Fizzer and store security.

Tyla’s account of the accusation

Sharing the memory, Tyla described the scene as “so dramatic” and said a security guard stopped her because they thought she had taken a Fizzer. She said the guard told her, “You’re shoplifting,” and she replied, “Really? I’m not going to steal a Fizzer.”

“One time, a security [guard] stopped me in a store because they thought I stole a Fizzer. They were like, ‘You’re shoplifting,’ and I was like, ‘Really? I’m not going to steal a Fizzer.’ It was so dramatic,”

She added that the guards asked, “What are you chewing?” and that they were made to “go all the way to the cameras” to prove they had entered the store with ice cream. “They stopped us when we were walking out,” she said.

Snack rankings and childhood memories

The article lists Tyla’s top three snacks as Simba Ghost Pops, Biltong, and Peppermint Crisp chocolate. Other items she ranked included Baxton Apricots, Nik Naks Flamin’ Hot and Sparletta Sparberry, which she said reminded her of childhood because her mother told her it was “medicine.”

On the “worst side” of her order, Tyla placed Simba Mrs Balls Chutney, Romany Creams and Fizzer, the latter linked to the shoplifting memory she described.

Source and publication

The account and snack-ranking appeared in an article published on Sep 8, 2026 summarising Tyla’s appearance on the Elle UK YouTube channel and her recollection of the childhood incident.