Most South African retailers have resolved to no longer sell TRESemme hair products, following adverts that shamed black hair. The advert was featured by pharmacy chain Clicks.
The controversial online advert labelled African hair as “frizzy and dull”, “dry and damaged”.
White hair, meanwhile, was labelled “normal” and “fine and flat”.
Shoprite, Woolworths and Pick N Pay all say they have removed TRESemmé products from their shelves, as has Clicks.
A senior executive at Clicks resigned and a number of employees were suspended earlier this week.
Critics found the advert particularly insensitive because of the historic issues around African hair in South Africa.
Under white-minority rule, the state used the so-called “pencil test” to decide who was black or mixed-race – depending on how easily the pencil moved through the hair.
Protests against Clicks were led by Economic Freedom Party members,forcing may outlets to close shop
Opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who called the hair advert “racist” and “dehumanising” led protests against Clicks forcing many outlets of the pharmacy chain to close operations.
Following a meeting between the EFF, Clicks and TRESemmé’s parent company Unilever on Thursday, the party said Unilever would remove all TRESemmé products from South African stores for a period of 10 days and donate at least 10,000 sanitary pads to informal settlements in the country.
Meanwhile, the chief executive of Clicks, Vikesh Ramsunder, also apologised, adding that an audit of all promotional material would be “urgently implemented” as well as diversity and inclusivity training.
