A Nando’s ad which seeks to remind South Africans that they’re all foreigners has been pulled by South Africa’s national broadcaster.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) claims that it pulled the ad because it contravenes broadcasting regulations, adding that it had “xenophobic undertones”.
No ad to show here.
In the advert, a narrator says, “you know what’s wrong with South Africa? All you foreigners”. Various population groups from Zimbabweans, and Nigerians, to Indians and Chinese are shown disappearing in puffs of smoke. Eventually Afrikaners, Zulus, and various other language groupings are shown disappearing until only a Khoi San man is left who says: “I’m not going anywhere. You @&*$# found us here.”
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told the Cape Times that the attack could incite attacks on foreigners:
“Nando’s may say that it is trying to promote diversity but what we are concerned about is that the public might interpret it differently.”
If South Africans are feeling insulted right now, it’s because the spokesperson of their national broadcaster just called them stupid.
It’s also ironic that Nando’s should be called out for inciting Xenophobia when the ad is part of a larger campaign with a charitable arm that is involved in building pop up soup kitchens in areas of the country affected by Xenophobic attacks.
The last time one of the fast food outlet’s ads was pulled from a national broadcaster, it was in Zimbabwe in the wake of the massively popular “Last Dictator” ad. The franchise decided to pull the ad from the country because of “perceived threats against Nando’s Zimbabwe’s management, staff, and customers”.
The newly banned ad has been viewed more than 100 000 times on YouTube.
