Dineo Langa.
Glenlivet has withdrawn a Women’s Month advertisement featuring actress Dineo Langa after widespread backlash over its use of the legacy of the 1956 Women’s March and images of liberation Struggle icons to market whisky.
The now-deleted campaign featured Langa moving through rooms displaying portraits of figures including Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, Lilian Ngoyi, and Sophie Williams-De Bruyn, while holding a glass of Glenlivet. It also invoked the historic march and the slogan “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo (You strike a woman, you strike a rock)”.
The advert spurred widespread criticism on social media, with users questioning the decision to associate the women’s resistance against apartheid with alcohol. It also drew attention from political and government figures.
Reacting to the backlash, the brand apologised and removed the post.
“The Glenlivet unreservedly apologises for a recent influencer post which drew on the legacy of the 1956 Women’s March,” the brand said.
“We acknowledge the offence this has caused and have deleted the post.”
The brand said it was investigating how the post was “conceptualised and approved”.
Langa separately apologised, saying: “I am sorry for the harm I have caused. I understand the gravity of this mistake and will be more mindful in future.”
Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said the campaign trivialised the historic and ongoing struggle of South African women for freedom, equality, dignity and justice.
“The struggle of the women of 1956 cannot and must not be reduced to a marketing gimmick,” Chikunga said.
She said it was particularly concerning to use the historic Struggle to sell alcohol, given its social consequences.
“Alcohol abuse and harmful drinking are among factors that can exacerbate gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), family instability, child neglect, interpersonal violence and other forms of social harm,” she said.
Chikunga added: “We cannot celebrate the courage of the women of 1956 while simultaneously commercialising and trivialising their struggle.”
The ANC also criticised the campaign, saying the women of 1956 “were not cultural props or marketing symbols” and that their “legacies and sacrifices are not marketing props”.
“Their contribution cannot be reduced to a visual association or branding opportunity; it represents a profound national legacy built on courage, sacrifice and resistance,” the party said.
It further highlighted the history of alcohol as an instrument of exploitation and control under colonialism and apartheid, including the dop system.
