First, their old shopping bag was mentioned in a corruption trial. Now, Woolworths’ newly launched white bag is facing a different kind of trial: the court of public opinion on social media.
As the retailer moves on from the design entangled in Vusi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s ‘money bags’ testimony, customers are delivering their own verdicts on the fresh look, and not all of them are favourable.
The new, primarily white bags with green accents began appearing in stores recently, as per The South African.
While Woolworths has not commented on any link to the court proceedings, the shift has inevitably drawn attention given the recent testimony that the previous version was used to allegedly transport bribe money.
Woolworths changed the money bag,made it white and transparent,they are petty😀 pic.twitter.com/m9MbU9WYi5
— 🎀Ŧĥöľäƙëľë🎀 (@MkhwanaziTl) December 2, 2025
While the previous bag was described in court as a discrete vessel for alleged bribe money, its successor offers no such secrecy.
TikTok user Xolile Vesile perfectly captured the collective sigh of many shoppers in a viral video, joking about the newfound visibility of our consumer choices.
‘Now people are gonna see what we carry!’ Vesile exclaims in the clip.
@ecks_ves #greenscreen ♬ original sound – Xolile Vesile
Compiled by Lulama Klassen
First published on Cape {town} etc
Also see: “This cow had medical aid,” Mzansi cracks up over viral Woolworths milk review
