Cute or incompetent? Twitter titters over model's boyfriend who needs pictures to do the shopping

It’s the weekend, and thousands of couples are having that tricky discussion: “Whose turn is it to do the shopping?”

For model Lerato Kgamanyane from Johannesburg, the answer is slightly more complicated than most: Either she’ll be at the supermarket, or she’ll be supervising her boyfriend’s shopping on WhatsApp.

Kgamanyane, whose Twitter handle is @Rato_K, went viral last weekend when she said she found it “cute” that she had to send photos of grocery items to her boyfriend in case he mistakes grapefruit for grapes.

“He struggles so much with grocery shopping, so pictures have to accompany the list or it’ll just be a mess. Cutest thing,” said Kgamanyane, founder of hellenrose.co.za, a website “for women, by women”.

Many of those who responded were less impressed. “Why is being an incompetent manchild suddenly cute?” asked one.

Another said: “Nothing cute here ... Grow up!” as a third queried: “Why are men just ... allowed to be this clueless?”

The debate started when Kgamanyane, 24, from Westdene, posted a 10-second video of her WhatsApp feed, which included the shopping list and photographs of items such as spaghetti, diced tomatoes and prawns.

In one of his replies, her boyfriend asked if a box of grapes was what she meant by grapefruit.

She went on to share that she once asked her boyfriend to get flour, and he returned with maize meal.

A week later, the video has been watched more than 500,000 times, with many people suggesting Kgamanyane’s boyfriend had been useless on purpose to avoid being sent shopping in future.

A man tweeted: “If your woman asks you to do a chore, make a mess of it otherwise it becomes your job. You’re welcome, gents.”

Others found the situation relatable. One woman said that when she asked her husband to buy mushrooms, he returned with marshmallows.

Another wrote: “I sent my boyfriend to get roll-on and he came back with a jell, or he can claim it’s hard for him to find stuff.” [sic]

When one person suggested Kgamanyane order her grocery shopping online from now on, she replied: “That’s the route I’m taking next if it’s not me going personally!”

The feedback wasn’t all negative. “I find these very cute and adorable,” one individual said.

“Relationshiping is so adorable, especially with someone who partakes in day-to-day activities in the house,” added another user.

A third said: “On one hand this is hilarious because he is so clueless but then it’s so sweet because he is genuinely trying.”

Kgamanyane told TimesLIVE she didn’t want to discuss the matter. “No thanks. Have a lovely weekend,” she said in an email.

On Twitter, she said: “So much going on in the world and publications want to write about ama grocer wendlu yam’... Hate to see that!”