Enhle Mbali Faces Backlash Over Controversial Hair Comment

by Zaghrah Anthony

Enhle Mbali Sparks Outrage With Racially Charged Hair Comment

Actress and fashion designer Enhle Mbali Mlotshwa has found herself at the centre of a public storm after making a highly controversial remark during the launch of her new role as Carlton Hair’s first celebrity ambassador.

The event, held in Hyde Park, was intended to celebrate the brand’s shift toward catering for ethnic hair textures, a move widely seen as a progressive step in South Africa’s beauty industry. However, Mbali’s choice of words overshadowed the announcement.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by IOL LIFESTYLE (@iol_lifestyle)

The Comment That Shocked the Crowd

During her speech, Mbali referred to her own hair as “k*fir hare”, a derogatory term used during apartheid to denigrate African hair. She added, laughing, that it was the type of hair “you can clean pots with.”

“Listen, it’s the new South Africa and I’m allowed to say this. I’ve got kfir hare. And the black people know exactly what I mean and the coloured people know exactly what I mean as well,”* she said.

While some attendees laughed, a clip of the moment quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), sparking outrage and condemnation across South Africa.

Social Media Reacts

The public response was swift and overwhelmingly critical. User @demz_1_1 wrote:

“So Enhle Mbali felt it was okay to refer to her coarse-textured hair as ‘k-word hair’ in front of white and coloured women? Yho. As someone with thick 4C hair, not once did I ever think to refer to the texture of my hair as ‘k-word hair’. Why tf would she think it’s an okay thing to say?”

Others expressed disbelief that a public figure, particularly a black woman, would invoke such a charged term.

@hymnfortaiwa commented: “The k word remains an offensive racial slur even when it is said by a black person. We cannot reclaim it into positivity. It’s derogatory, contemptuous, and violent.”

@Colo_Tau added: “This woman could have said anything else, ANYTHING else, but she paused and said this?”

@snaledis echoed the sentiment: “Absolutely not. It’s derogatory and saying it is totally unacceptable, idc if you are a black person—it’s still derogatory.”

A Broader Cultural Context

South Africa’s history gives this term a particularly painful resonance. Used to demean and dehumanize black South Africans during apartheid, it remains one of the most offensive racial slurs in the country. Many argue that even in casual or humorous contexts, its use perpetuates trauma and normalizes racial insensitivity.

Mbali’s attempt at humor, intended to reflect her natural hair journey and embrace of ethnic textures, has instead highlighted the ongoing tension between reclaiming identity and respecting historical trauma. The controversy also raises questions about celebrity responsibility in a country still grappling with systemic racial inequalities and historical wounds.

The Aftermath

While Mbali has not yet publicly addressed the backlash directly, social media shows a growing debate about racial slurs, freedom of speech, and cultural responsibility. Industry insiders suggest that her role as the ambassador for Carlton Hair places her in a delicate position, as she now represents a brand that is actively attempting to empower and celebrate ethnic hair textures.

This incident underscores the fine line celebrities must navigate between humor, self-expression, and cultural sensitivity, especially when their words are amplified across social media.

Source: IOL

Featured Image: X {@Lee_Raa_Tuu}