PAY channel TopTV will screen a Nando's fast food franchise advertisement that has been described as xenophobic, the channel's air-time sales spokesman Jean Meyer said.
He said the aim was to give TopTV subscribers the opportunity to choose if they wanted to see it or not.
The advert begins with people jumping a fence on one of South Africa 's borders, followed by a voice-over that says: "You know what's wrong with South Africa? It's all you foreigners".
Then it proceeds to show various races across the country disappearing in puffs of smoke. Eventually, all races disappear - with only a Khoisan left. He then turns to the screen and says: "I'm not going anywhere. You *$E!@#* (swear word blocked out in advertisement) found us here."
Meyer said TopTV applauded the franchise for tackling "thorny" issues in the country.
"The positive message contained in the advert, with the line 'Real South Africans love diversity', is a sentiment that all South Africans should embrace."
The advertisement was refused air-play by the SABC, M-Net, DStv and e-tv.
The SABC was reportedly meant to screen the advertisement earlier this month, but pulled it because of its "xenophobic undertone".
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told the Cape Times that the advert would incite attacks on foreigners.
"Nando's may say that it is trying to promote diversity, but what we are concerned about is that the public might interpret it differently," he said.
A print version of the advertisement was subsequently published in the Sunday Times.
In December last year, Nando's pulled a TV advert titled "Last Dictator Standing". It portrayed Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe dining alone on Christmas at a dinner table set for past dictators, including Muammar Gaddafi.
It showed an actor playing Mugabe reminiscing on old times with former dictators.
TopTV said the "diversity" advertisement would be aired as of today across nine of its channels.
We won't chicken out - TopTV
PAY channel TopTV will screen a Nando's fast food franchise advertisement that has been described as xenophobic, the channel's air-time sales spokesman Jean Meyer said.
He said the aim was to give TopTV subscribers the opportunity to choose if they wanted to see it or not.
The advert begins with people jumping a fence on one of South Africa 's borders, followed by a voice-over that says: "You know what's wrong with South Africa? It's all you foreigners".
Then it proceeds to show various races across the country disappearing in puffs of smoke. Eventually, all races disappear - with only a Khoisan left. He then turns to the screen and says: "I'm not going anywhere. You *$E!@#* (swear word blocked out in advertisement) found us here."
Meyer said TopTV applauded the franchise for tackling "thorny" issues in the country.
"The positive message contained in the advert, with the line 'Real South Africans love diversity', is a sentiment that all South Africans should embrace."
The advertisement was refused air-play by the SABC, M-Net, DStv and e-tv.
The SABC was reportedly meant to screen the advertisement earlier this month, but pulled it because of its "xenophobic undertone".
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told the Cape Times that the advert would incite attacks on foreigners.
"Nando's may say that it is trying to promote diversity, but what we are concerned about is that the public might interpret it differently," he said.
A print version of the advertisement was subsequently published in the Sunday Times.
In December last year, Nando's pulled a TV advert titled "Last Dictator Standing". It portrayed Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe dining alone on Christmas at a dinner table set for past dictators, including Muammar Gaddafi.
It showed an actor playing Mugabe reminiscing on old times with former dictators.
TopTV said the "diversity" advertisement would be aired as of today across nine of its channels.
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