H&M will not be selling the racist product in Mzansi.
An ad recently surfaced in which a black child is wearing a t-shirt with the words “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle.”
The ad appeared to have been from their offices in Europe, as it shows the selling currency as the pound.
There have been calls from social media for the company to be boycotted.
Daily Sun contacted H&M SA, and they issued an apology.
“We sincerely apologise for offending customers with an image of a printed hooded top that was published on selected global online channels.
The image has been removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in South Africa” said Amelia May-Woustra from HM SA’s PR Department.
Social media users took to Twitter to vent out.
In the year 2018 there’s no way brands/art directors can be this negligent and lack awareness. If look at other sweaters in same category they have white kids. We have to do better. pic.twitter.com/Av4bS4t6yn
— alex medina (@mrmedina) January 8, 2018
So the black kid gets to wear the H&M sweater with "Coolest monkey in the jungle" and the white kid with "Survival expert". This is beyond disgusting. It's a projection of your neocolonial thinking. You won't see me anywhere near your shops these days @hm. pic.twitter.com/Gl7OtdVw4p
— Volkan ?? (@vulkaanrots) January 8, 2018
I was totally shocked, dismayed to say the very least to find this online imagine. @hm do you think this imagery is an appropriate representation of a young black boy? pic.twitter.com/ylCIMZHVtv
— Kate Osamor (@KateOsamor) January 8, 2018
Wait what?
— #TheBeat (@UntitledProdSA) January 8, 2018
Y'all have done it this time??????@hm pic.twitter.com/skI98my2NG
