- Facebook advert linked Sesotho greeting to danger, reinforcing tribalist stereotypes.
- ARB rejects Pineapple's defence of humour and cultural realism, finds ad discriminatory.
- Company ordered to remove campaign message portraying Zulu taxi drivers as threatening.
A Facebook advertisement by Pineapple Insurance has been condemned by the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) for fuelling tribalism and promoting harmful cultural stereotypes.
The post, which compared driving without car insurance to greeting a taxi driver by saying “dumelang” (a Sesotho greeting), was ruled discriminatory and must be withdrawn with immediate effect.
The ad’s Zulu-language phrasing, “ukushayela ungenawo umshwalense kufana nokuthi dumelang kumshayeli we tekisi”, suggested that using a Sotho greeting with a taxi driver is an awkward or risky act. A consumer complaint soon followed, arguing that the message implied all taxi drivers are Zulu and are hostile toward Sotho speakers, thus relying on a divisive and inaccurate stereotype.
Advertiser calls it humour, regulator says it’s discrimination
Pineapple Insurance responded by defending the ad as a “relatable, light-hearted analogy” about the importance of car insurance. The company argued that the use of dumelang was meant to highlight a culturally awkward moment in everyday South African life, particularly when addressing a Zulu-speaking taxi driver.
Pineapple said Zulu is the most widely spoken language in South Africa, and that many taxi drivers in Gauteng are Zulu-speaking, making the joke statistically grounded. It added that the broader campaign sought to be inclusive by using different languages and cultural references.
But the ARB wasn’t persuaded. It held that the ad did not merely rely on cultural differences for humour, it entrenched harmful stereotypes, particularly the idea that Zulu taxi drivers are dangerous or aggressive toward Sotho speakers. By likening a Sotho greeting to the danger of being uninsured, the Board said, the ad crossed a line from cultural humour into harmful generalisation.
Cultural jokes must tread carefully in a divided society
The ruling, delivered on 31 July 2025, invokes Clause 3.4 of Section II of the Code of Advertising Practice, which prohibits discriminatory content. According to the ARB, the hypothetical reasonable consumer would interpret the ad as suggesting that speaking Sotho to a Zulu taxi driver invites danger, not simply social awkwardness.
“It is only this interpretation that makes the comparison to driving without insurance make sense,” the Board said in its decision. “The advertisement implies that Zulu taxi drivers are angry and dangerous, and will respond negatively.”
The Board acknowledged that South Africans often use humour to navigate cultural differences, but said this ad failed to walk the fine line between comedy and discrimination. Instead, it amplified tribal stereotypes that still carry real social risks.
Ad must be withdrawn immediately
The ARB ordered Pineapple Insurance to withdraw the offending Facebook advert immediately or as soon as deadlines permit. The decision serves as a reminder that advertisers must exercise caution when referencing culture and language, particularly in a diverse and historically divided country like South Africa.
What may seem like a clever analogy to some can easily turn into a vehicle for entrenching prejudice, and in this case, the regulator made it clear that the cost of such messaging is simply too high.
Conviction.co.za
Get your news on the go. Click here to follow the Conviction WhatsApp channel.
