Imagine walking into a rugby team photo expecting to see the usual Springbok superstars — only to discover that the squad is made up of everyday South Africans who could pass for them.
That is the playful idea behind Klipdrift’s Same Same But Klippies #BokSearch, a campaign that has transformed celebrity resemblance into a uniquely South African celebration of rugby culture.
The result? A 23-man “second Springbok squad” made up not of professional rugby players, but of a law enforcement officer, real estate agent, construction worker and other ordinary South Africans whose faces bear an uncanny resemblance to members of the national team.
And that is where the campaign gets interesting.
From Lookalike Joke to National Conversation
At first glance, #BokSearch sounds like a light-hearted social media gimmick: spot your Bok double, enter the search and see what happens.
But the campaign has tapped into something much bigger — South Africa’s love of recognising ourselves in the people and moments we celebrate.
Take Anthony Smit from Paarl, whose resemblance to Eben Etzebeth has apparently caused more than a few double takes. His story about a woman in a biltong shop mistaking him for the Springbok before literally falling off her chair is exactly the kind of everyday humour that makes South African rugby culture so entertaining.
Then there is Antonio Munnik from Belhar, whose likeness to Grant Williams earned him a place in the squad, and Zwelethu Maziya from Durban, whose friends were so convinced he looked like Aphelele Fassi that they repeatedly encouraged him to enter.
These aren’t professional celebrities. They are people who suddenly found themselves part of a national rugby conversation.
The Real Win Is Bringing People Together
Perhaps the strongest part of #BokSearch is what happened after the doubles were selected.
The 23 participants met one another and, according to Smit, it felt like joining a provincial rugby team — despite none of them being there to actually take the field.
That sense of belonging is arguably the campaign’s most culturally relevant element.
Rugby in South Africa has never existed solely inside stadiums. It lives in family living rooms, neighbourhoods, braais, taxis, workplaces, social feeds and the debates that start days before kick-off.
By turning fans into participants, #BokSearch plays directly into that culture.
The Bok Family Gets Bigger
The campaign also goes beyond the men’s Springbok team. South Africans can search for their lookalikes across the Springbok Women and Springbok Sevens squads, widening the idea of who gets represented in the national rugby universe.
And the story isn’t finished.
Although the starting 23 has been revealed, the “bench” remains open. South Africans aged 18 and older can continue entering #BokSearch until the end of September 2026, with opportunities to become part of the Same Same But Klippies squad or win a framed Springbok jersey.
For a campaign built around looking like someone else, its biggest achievement may be showing how unmistakably South African the people behind the faces really are.
