Unilever has removed all TRESemmé hair products from all stores for 10 days after widespread outrage over the product’s advert on the Clicks website.
Hair care products from Curl Chemistry. Picture: @curlchemistry/Facebook
CAPE TOWN – Amid the fallout from a racist hair product advert, natural hair campaigners said that more support was needed to help promote local brands.
Unilever has removed all TRESemmé hair products from all stores for 10 days after widespread outrage over the product’s ad on the Clicks website.
It labelled black hair as dry and damaged, while an image of white hair was described as fine and flat.
Curl Chemistry founder Liezl Snerdon said that she was disappointed by the ad but now saw a great opportunity for local brands.
“It can only do us good. It is going to boost our economy and create new jobs.”
She said that it was a struggle to get their brands on the shelves.
“You go and see these retailers and they just turn you away or something is wrong with your product but they tell you what’s wrong, they don’t tell you how to improve… it’s difficult.”
Afro Pride founder Nomaxabiso Precious Kyriakides has had similar problems with retailers.
“Through the government thinking that that was going to assist and you go to different retailers as well but it has become so difficult because the expectations… they’re just totally out of our reach.”
She said that she had been expected to provide large amounts of stock but questioned how she could do this without sufficient resources and support.
