Cape Town – Rachel Kolisi appears to have responded to social media criticism over her decision to keep the Kolisi surname following her divorce from Springboks captain Siya Kolisi.
The author and director shared a light-hearted video on Instagram on Tuesday, September 22, showing herself at an airport as she travelled to the Eastern Cape.
In the clip, Rachel wrote: “First name. Last name. Same same.”
She captioned the post: “Eastern Cape, I’m coming in hot 😅 @falling forward.”
The post came after social media users questioned why she continued using the Kolisi surname following her divorce from Siya.
A video of Rachel singing and dancing along to Ne-Yo’s Miss Independent at an event had gone viral, attracting millions of views across Instagram and TikTok.
While many users praised her confidence, others focused on her surname.
RACHEL KOLISI unleashing miss independent energy 🫦
Lamthuthu fumbled here. pic.twitter.com/i5HWVrh8LF
— 𝔽𝕀𝕊ℂ𝕌𝕊 𝕂𝔾𝕆𝕊𝕀 (@FiscusKgosi) September 23, 2026
“Miss independent but she doesn’t have her own surname,” one user commented.
Another wrote: “Miss Independent… Last name ‘Kolisi’ okay.”
Rachel did not directly mention the criticism in her airport video, but her “First name. Last name. Same same” caption appeared to address the conversation.
The response also drew support from followers, with several users saying keeping the surname was her personal choice.
One Instagram user wrote that if she divorced, she would also keep her surname, adding: “My life, my choice.”
Another said keeping the same surname as her children could make travelling and dealing with parental documentation easier.
@rachelkolisi Eastern Cape, I’m coming in hot 😅 @falling forward ♬ They See Me rollin songvibezz – 🎵💯🤝
Rachel has previously explained why she chose to keep the Kolisi surname.
Speaking to 947, she said having the same surname as her children was important, particularly when travelling with them.
“My children share the same surname as me, and travelling with my children, because they are brown, is already a big challenge,” she said.
She explained that she was sometimes stopped at airport gates and asked to provide additional confirmation of her relationship with her children.
“So it would be a really big challenge for me, so I’m keeping my surname,” she said.
Rachel and Siya have two children together, Nicholas, 12, and Keziah, nine.
The former couple announced their separation in October 2025 after more than a decade of marriage.
Rachel has continued to use the Kolisi surname publicly while building her career as an author, director and speaker.
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Picture: Instagram / rachelkolisi
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
