By Pauline Odhiambo
It is often said that each person has at least seven doppelgängers worldwide. But studies show that the likelihood of two individual sharing eight identical facial features is less than one in a trillion.
Yet, despite this rarity, genuine look-alikes do exist and often live on opposite ends of the earth, according to research by the University of California, Berkeley.
A doppelgänger refers to someone who looks almost identical to another living person but who is not related to that person. Doppelgänger are often unlikely to meet their doubles in person and thus remain unaware of each other’s existence until a chance encounter, or social media, brings them together.
This was the case for a South African woman who became an internet sensation after a photo of her went viral on various social media platforms.
Is that you, Oprah?
In the photo, the yet-to-be identified woman is seen holding a shopping voucher, but what captivated audiences was her striking resemblance to US media mogul and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
Many South Africans were quick to point out the striking similarity, with some saying that the unidentified woman was ‘Oprah’s long lost twin.’
Facebook user Jan Van Potgieter, who first posted the photo on his page, captioned the image saying: “Oprah Winfrey won a Shoprite voucher.”
Responding to Potgieter’s post, other commentators were quick to come up with jokes and references based on some of Oprah’s most memorable moments on TV.
Recalling an incident where the talk show host gave away free cars to all her audience members, one Facebook user wrote, “Yay, you get a voucher, you get a voucher, everyone gets a Shoprite voucher!”
“This is Opra Winfried from Temu,” another tongue-in-cheek comment read, referring to the China-based online marketplace that sells heavily-discounted consumer goods.
Celeb lookalikes
Though celebrities are some of the most recognizable people in the world, and whose faces are regularly projected on massive movie screens and billboards, some celebrities are often mistaken for other A-listers who look just like them.
South African DJ and record producer Black Coffee did a double take when he saw his Cape Town doppelgänger, Real Phumzo, at a club.
Similarly, Swazi DJ and record producer Uncle Waffles and South African singer Seemah had fans convinced they were long-lost twins when they finally met in person.
Below are the names of other people who bear an uncanny resemblance to famous stars.
Rihanna and Priscila Beatrice
Twenty eight-year-old TikTok star Priscila Beatrice looks so similar to pop star Rihanna that her recreation of the musician’s 2019 British Fashion Awards look not only fooled her fans, but it even got the attention of Rihanna herself.
Commenting on Beatrice’s recreation, the ‘Work’ singer commented on the post asking: “Where the album sis? #R9”, to jokingly direct the typical focus on her music career onto Priscila instead.
Beyoncé and Brittany ‘SurB’ Williams
Brittany Williams, a Detroit native, has reportedly been dealing with her resemblance to Queen Bey for years, going right back to her Destiny’s Child days. According to The Daily Mail, she’s frequently stopped on the street by fans of the ‘Drunk In Love’ singer.
“I get approached all the time; whether it be on planes, at the airport or while attending events. I’ve also been chased, had pictures taken of me without my consent and pranks done without me knowing,” she told the publication in 2017.
“A group of women once chased me and my friend to our car and began singing ‘Single Ladies’, beating my friend’s car with the heels of their shoes until we rolled down the window and took a picture with them.”
Meghan Markle and Akeisha Land
When Instagram influencer Akeisha Varnado Land posted a photo of herself with her daughter in February 2020, she wasn’t prepared for the onslaught of comments comparing her to Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex.
“I get compared to her quite often, and not just online. Out and about, whether at church, the movie theater, or at the grocery store…even my close friends and family say I look like her! And even though I myself don’t see the similarities, I definitely take it as a huge compliment,” the American told The Daily Mail.
“I always joke and say I need to have someone reach out to her people to let them know I’m always up for filling in for her as her doppelgänger if she doesn’t want to go to any of the events she’s invited to.”
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