Nike closes stores in South Africa following backlash over racist video

A man with reported links to the company posted a ‘racist’ video on social media

Several Nike stores in South Africa have reportedly been closed following the online circulation of a video that depicts an employee's husband making racist remarks.

Earlier this week, a video was released online that showed businessman Adam Catzavelos describing a beach in South Africa as “heaven on earth” as he couldn’t see any black people around, referring to them with the term 'kaffir' - a deeply offensive apartheid-era slang term. Catzavelos is married to Kelly Catzavelos, brand merchandise manager for Nike Africa.

The discovery of Catzavelos’ wife’s identity led to several people on Twitter declaring that they wanted to boycott Nike, with members of the far-left political party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) stating that they wanted to file a criminal complaint against Catzavelos due to his actions.

As a result, some Nike stores in the country have been closed, according to Reuters.

In a statement provided to Times Live, Nike has confirmed that Catzavelos is not an employee of the company and stressed the brand’s inclusive ethos.

“Nike opposes discrimination and has a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion and respect,” the statement reads.

A man reacts as he finds a Nike store closed in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko (REUTERS)

“We believe in the power of human potential in everyone - of every race, religion, nationality, gender and sexual orientation.”

Mr Catzavelos has been dismissed with immediate effect from his family business, St George’s Fine Foods, and is having his minority shareholding unwound, according to a statement sent to the BBC from his brother, Nic Catzavelos.

The Butcher Shop steakhouse and restaurant chain The Baron Group have stated that they’ll no longer serve food with products sourced from St George’s Fine Foods.

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, a national spokesperson for the EFF, originally called out Catzavelos on Twitter before he was identified.

Earlier this year, protesters from the EFF carried out demonstrations against H&M stores in South Africa following backlash over a picture of a black child modelling a hoodie with the slogan “coolest monkey in the jungle.”