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 ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
04/06/2026
Sony Electronics is introducing the SRG-AS10, a 4K 60p-compatible PTZ auto-frami...
04/06/2026
This recent grad from Spring, TX, led creative-video output for the Aggies' men's basketball team last season and has been producing video and creating ...
04/06/2026
For the first time at a women's golf major, every player in the field will r...
04/06/2026
Three Panasonic PT-RQ45 40,000-lumen 3-Chip DLP projectors made their first live...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin and Akamai have announced a collaboration with NRJ Group, a French mult...
04/06/2026
Telestream will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N7952), demonstrating media work...
04/06/2026
Sony has announced the development of RIALTO 65, a 65mm format image sensor block for the VENICE 2 digital cinema camera, targeting release in the first half of...
04/06/2026
KOKUSAI DENKI Electric America will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth N8025, June ...
04/06/2026
Bell Media's TSN and RDS are the exclusive Canadian broadcasters of FIFA Wor...
04/06/2026
The Challenge: Receiving Heavy Media Files From Road Games Quickly and ReliablyT...
04/06/2026
MASV, a managed file transfer platform used in broadcast and live sports product...
04/06/2026
NESN has announced the appointment of Fahad Haider as Vice President of Operations and Engineering. Haider returns to NESN, where he previously served as Vice P...
04/06/2026
David J. Halberstam, who spent almost 50 years in sports as a broadcaster and an executive, died June 2 after a years-long battle with brain cancer.
Over his l...
04/06/2026
Although collegiate production programs are tasked with delivering high-quality ...
04/06/2026
California studio, two production trucks, global distribution system are combine...
04/06/2026
New global program empowers and supports storytellers through scriptwriting course and access to industry experts
TikTok and Sundance Institute today announce...
04/06/2026
Steinberg DAWs now boast in-depth Tonalic integration
Celemony's innovative virtual session musician plug-in has just received an update that brings ARA...
04/06/2026
Get Hands-On With Over 20 Mic Brands
GearExpo UK is fast approaching, and if you've been looking for a chance to check out some new mics, then you'r...
04/06/2026
Combos feature new Amplifier Intelligence engine
Positive Grid's latest release sees the company introduce two new combo amplifiers that promise to offe...
04/06/2026
Is Your Job Making You Work this June?
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS Launches the World Cup Watchers' Rights Association to Stand Up For Australians&...
04/06/2026
Statement regarding unauthorised use of SBS logos on third party social content
4 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has become aware of social media posts in c...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming infrastructure, and Akamai, the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business onli...
04/06/2026
American Underground (AU), the Startup Hub of the South and a community of mor...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
04/06/2026
NVIDIA and Microsoft Reinvent Windows PCs for the Age of Personal AI
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
RTX Spark - a 1-Petaflop Superchip, the Full...
04/06/2026
Inside the Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man Grade
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Simone Grattarola discusses shaping the look in DaVinci Resolve...
04/06/2026
Cine Gear Expo Announces 2026 Awards of Excellence Recipients
Brie Clayton June 3, 2026
0 Comments
Ed Lachman ASC, Caleb Deschanel ASC, and M. David M...
04/06/2026
St. Vincents Live with Orchestra Tour to Feature Berklee Alum Ruby Plume Berklee alumni St. Vincent and Ruby Plume will appear on the same bill across seven d...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
All the Truth in My Lies Coming to Netflix on August 28
Entertainment
04 June 2026
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Download the imag...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Larry Tanz, VP of Content, EMEA, Delivers a Keynote Speech at ...
04/06/2026
Back to All News
Turn Your Living Room into a Stadium With the New FIFA World ...
04/06/2026
Keeping conversations real on LinkedIn Published on Jun 4, 2026 Categories: Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Communications
Share
LinkedIn
Facebook ...
04/06/2026
BackStory follows four Irish young people as they travel back to their parents' homelands
Modern Irish identity is enriched by cultures and influences from...
04/06/2026
June's forecast with GeForce NOW: 100% chance of gaming.
GeForce NOW is lining up new adventures for the month, from big-name blockbusters to quirky indies...
03/06/2026
SES and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, have launched multi-orbit satellite inflight connectivity on Viva's Airbus aircraft. A total of 60 A320s ...
03/06/2026
The College Football Playoff, ESPN, and TNT Sports have announced kick times and...
03/06/2026
RED Digital Cinema will exhibit at Cine Gear Expo 2026 (Booth 33, June 5-6, Universal Studios Lot), hosting three panels and hands-on product demonstrations.
P...
03/06/2026
Roku has announced the Soccer Zone, a dedicated hub for FIFA World Cup 2026 content available across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Argent...
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.
