Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) went into damage-control mode over the weekend after a controversial advertisement sparked protests in South Africa. The Swedish clothes retailer closed its South African shops after some outlets were trashed in an anti-racism protest against an online ad by H&M that featured a black child modeling a hoodie with the text "coolest monkey in the jungle." "H&M is aware of the recent events inside several of our South African stores," the company said in a statement on its website. "What matters most to us is the safety of our employees and customers" and "we have temporarily closed our stores in South Africa." H&M was last week forced to apologise for the image after it caused a social-media storm and prompted Canadian artist The Weeknd to end his collaboration with the Stockholm-based company. H&M, which said it agreed with those who were upset by the image, pulled the garment in question from its stores. Over the weekend, the company took further steps to rejec...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.