While you're all gathered around the table for your Christmas dinner this year, we'd wager some good money that at least one middle-aged relative is going chime in with the phrase everybody gets so offended these days , blaming millennials for getting things banned in South Africa.
On the dinner-table-conversation bingo card, this one is a cert: Right up there with compliments about the gravy and jokes about one portly uncle being the first to dip in for seconds. There may be a bit more fuel added to this fire next week though, following the recent decision to pull a Chicken Licken advert from the air.
The Big John campaign flipped the script on colonialism, depicting a black South African rocking up in 17th-century Europe and declaring the land his. The Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) said that the clip trivialised centuries of suffering and was therefore removed from all broadcasts.
However, pulling offensive adverts from screens is nothing new in this country. For decades, certain brands have pushed the envelope as far as they can, often profiting from the notoriety of the public outcry. We've compiled a list of our favourite commercials that have been banned in South Africa, ranging from the hilarious to the jaw-dropping.
Banned in South Africa our most offensive adverts: Malema gets stitched up by Nando's
Where else could we start with a banned in South Africa list than with a Nando's commercial? The chicken specialists went in hard, back in 2009. They lampooned then-ANC Youth League Julius Malema with a brilliant bit of puppeteering. However, some viewers found the depiction a little too close-to-the-bone.
The mocking of Malema's hand-actions, mannerisms and interpretation of basic maths lead to a fair few complaints some from the ANC finding their way to the ARB. The commercial was subsequently banned after its initial airing.
Pappa wag vir jou (Daddy is waiting for you)
This is perhaps one we can all agree is a bit too far. In fact, it was even used in Shrien Dewani's murder case by the defence, who argued that their client would face ultra-violent treatment if he was sent to a South African prison.
Scare tactics were used by the Drive Dry campaign to urge males in particular to avoid drink-driving. It starts like a dating commercial with a couple of men telling the camera what they want from a date.
It soon becomes obvious that these men are prisoners waiting for new inmates in a holding cell. It ends with a creepy toothless gangster saying: Pappa wag vir jou (Daddy is waiting for you). The advert did not survive long before it was replaced by an updated version.
DA and EFF stifled by political correctness Both the DA and the EFF fell foul of the SABC's commercial policy in 2014. With both parties taking shots at the ANC and making particular reference to the Marikana tragedy that claimed dozens of lives the state broadcaster rapped both opposition outfits for trying to incite violence .
Of course, this flimsy excuse did not hold up well with many South Africans. In the DA's clip, we can see a younger Mmusi Maimane rallying the electorate during his time as the Gauteng Premier nomination: Is there anything so wrong with this?
Likewise, Julius Malema back in the days when he used to wear a suit instead of red overalls was left feeling extremely hard done by when this ad was pulled. By Juju's recent standards, this campaign was sugary sweet:
SABC Perspectives advert
It's hard to keep track of what the SABC do and don't find offensive. It's been more than a decade since their perspectives advert got a run-out, and it properly rattled TV audiences across Mzansi. Which is strange, considering that it's not exactly a shocking idea.
The what if white people were treated like black people and vice versa angle isn't original, but there was something particularly jarring for some South Africans here.
The ad follows a day in the life of a white citizen who lives in a township, is frowned-upon by rich black people and culminates with him being falsely accused of a crime because all white people look the same . Judge for yourselves on this one, but we're not so sure this should have been banned in South Africa
Nando's dig up the dictators
Starting with a Nando's, ending with a Nando's. We once did a list on their 15 best adverts, and that's because their viral campaigns completely dominate the discourse. They've tackled everything from xenophobia to state capture, but we believe they hit their offensive peak back in 2012.
The video shows Robert Mugabe the former authoritarian leader of Zimbabwe preparing a dinner party for all of his dictator friends. Colonel Gaddafi, Sadaam Hussain and yes, PW bloody Botha are all catered for.
We then see Mugabe reminiscing about his fond memories of history's greatest monsters. We see him engage in a water gun fight with Gaddafi, and push Botha on the swings while he waves an old apartheid flag. As darkly-brilliant as this was, it crossed the line for the censors:
Tags: comedyNandosnandos adSouth Africa
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Proven managed IP solution helps broadcasters confidently navigate the future of broadcast distribution
LTN announces it has completed successful satellite-to-...
22/07/2026
Today, Chaos announced V-Ray 7, update 4, eliminating the need for asset conversions and tool switching, which slow down media and entertainment pipelines. Arti...
22/07/2026
An AI playground for the Project Indigo camera app
Marc Levoy July 22, 2026
0 Comments
At left is the user interface of our Playground, running on an ...
22/07/2026
Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
22/07/2026
Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...
22/07/2026
Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...
22/07/2026
AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back
Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026
0 Comments
A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...
22/07/2026
From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...
22/07/2026
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 22.5 MILLION IN 2025...
22/07/2026
In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player
In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...
22/07/2026
Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...
21/07/2026
New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...
21/07/2026
With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...
21/07/2026
In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...
21/07/2026
When NEP designed one of its largest recurring mobile production unit fleets for PGA TOUR
coverage, the leading media services provider faced a familiar challe...
21/07/2026
High-end analogue channel strip boasts plug-in recall
Originally revealed as a prototype back at NAMM 2024, the Channex Studio channel strip represented a b...
21/07/2026
Relies on same DSP as plug-in range
Musik Hack's line-up has been influenced heavily by founder Stan Greene's work as a mixing engineer, and their M...
21/07/2026
Official collaboration with boutique builder Dirty Boy Pedals
Warm Audio have just announced the launch of a new guitar pedal range created in collaboration...
21/07/2026
SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final
21 July, 2026
Media releases
Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of al...
21/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC SIPI 2026 in ...
21/07/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery's unbroken lead is interrupted as sports and live mus...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Across the TV and streaming ecosystem, industry players face mounting pressure to do more with less. They must simplify operations, protect premium content and ...
21/07/2026
Tuxera, a leading prover of quality-assured file systems and networking technologies, is bringing its latest advances in connectivity performance to the media w...
21/07/2026
COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package
Brie Clayton July 21, 2026
0 Comments
HIRING: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP ...
21/07/2026
Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will use its presence at IBC2026 (stand 7.A01, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) to...
21/07/2026
Calrec will be located in Hall 8, on Stand C47
Beyond bigger
For years, broadcast facilities were built around one assumption: provision for the biggest pro...
21/07/2026
Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will discuss its future-facing developments for the new generation of medi...
21/07/2026
nxtedition returns to IBC2026 with its consolidated production platform, showing how scripting, editing, graphics, AI-assisted tools and automation can work wit...
21/07/2026
C2PA content signing helps broadcasters, public institutions, and publishers give audiences a verifiable record of where their video content came from and how i...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/07/2026
New capability centralizes collaboration, feedback, security and status tracking within VIDA, providing a structured, auditable approach to master quality contr...
21/07/2026
Lightcraft Launches Exclusive Spark Story Beta for Filmmakers and Creators at SI...
21/07/2026
Indie Road Movie Where in the Hell Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K
Brie Clayton July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist blends vintage film looks to shape...
21/07/2026
Which USS Defiant Pulse Phaser effect is better?
Graham Quince July 20, 2026
0 Comments
Aargh, ever since @DarkRavenProductions posted a comment ask...
21/07/2026
The AI era runs on AI infrastructure. Many of these advanced systems are built a...
21/07/2026
X-Rite Pantone and NIFT Partner to Build Color Management Skills for India's...
While you're all gathered around the table for your Christmas dinner this year, we'd wager some good money that at least one middle-aged relative is going chime in with the phrase everybody gets so offended these days , blaming millennials for getting things banned in South Africa.
