Beauty store Clicks raided by protesters over ‘racist’ hair advert

Clicks boss Vikesh Ramsunder has said he is ‘deeply disappointed’ the advert was shared

(AFP via Getty Images)

South African health and beauty chain Clicks has been raided, petrol-bombed and picketed this week, according to local police, after an advert deemed “racist” was posted to its website.

The advert featured natural hair side by side with caucasian hair and described the former as “frizzy, dull and damaged” and the latter as “normal”.

Clicks has apologised for the advert, saying on Twitter: "We would like to issue an unequivocal apology. We have removed the images which go against everything we believe in. We do not condone racism and we are strong advocates of natural hair.

“We are deeply sorry and will put in place stricter measures on our website.”

In a second tweet, it added: "We have made a mistake and sincerely apologise for letting you down. We recognise we have a role to play in creating a more diverse and inclusive S.A, starting with our website content.

"We know we need to do better, and commit to ensuring our content better reflects this value."

In response to the advert, Julius Malema, the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters party (EFF), requested that his followers provide surveillance of Clicks stores so they could be closed down by protestors.

“If any store of Clicks is open, inform the EFF, we’ll come there and we’ll close it. We are tired of white arrogance,” Malema told his 3.2 million Twitter followers.

Protestors succeeded in causing a store in Lemon Tree Mall, Alberton to close as it was raided and set alight, according to the BBC. In Mpumalanga province, protestors also reportedly threw a petrol-bomb at a Clicks store - nothing was damaged.

In a tweet Malema has implied that he does not condone violent protest, writing: “Ours is a peaceful protest to help @Clicks_SA close all their stores in SA”.

Videos on Twitter show some of Clicks’ 881 stores closed and others guarded by security.

Clicks has responded with an open letter from its Group CEO Vikesh Ramsunder calling the images “insensitive and offensive” after having removed them from its website.

Ramsunder stated that the “negligent” employees who posted the image had been suspended and promised an audit would take place on all promotional material and that its diversity and inclusion programme would now be “prioritised”.

“We are committed to effecting real, systemic change across our business that reflects our pride in being a truly South African company,” Ramsunder added.

It followed a statement from Unilver - who provided the images to Clicks on for TRESemmé South Africa - stating it “will take all necessary steps to make sure it doesn’t happen again”.

Similar protests took place in 2018 when H&M published a catalogue image of a young black boy wearing a hoodie with the slogan "coolest monkey in the jungle”.

Malema founded the EFF in 2013 after he was expelled from the ruling African National Congress. It is now their second largest opposition.