Enhle Mbali Under Fire for Using a Racial Slur To Describe Her Hair
- Enhle Mbali is at the centre of criticism after describing her coarse hair using a slur from the Apartheid era
- The actress and fashion designer's use of the controversial word among white and coloured people was labelled tone deaf and performative
- Online users have begun a cancel campaign against Enhle, with some claiming that she is attempting to appeal to other races
Source: Instagram
Enhle Mbali is facing backlash after her poor choice of words at the ceremony announcing her new brand partnership.
The actress and fashion designer was recently made the new face of Carlton Hair South Africa, and at her announcement ceremony on 10 September 2025, she gave a speech where she commented on her hair texture.
She described her coarse natural hair by referencing the K-word, which was used during the Apartheid and post-Apartheid era.
As some people in the audience erupted in laughter, Enhle went on to describe how rough her hair truly was:
"The black people know exactly what I mean, the coloured people know exactly what I mean. It's that hair that has a skirpot [scourer] texture like you can wash pots with it."
Source: Instagram
Enhle's statements did not land well on social media, as online users lambasted her for being comfortable using a racial term among white people, considering the vast history behind it.
Watch her video below, posted by demz_1_1:
Brief history of the K-word
The slur was used as a racial descriptor for black South Africans and was closely associated with racism and used to demean black people.
Although many black South Africans may use it in casual settings among each other, like the use of the N-word among African Americans, the term is not widely acceptable.
Its use by non-black persons can result in serious civil or criminal legal consequences, as it is actionable under common law as crimen injuria, and can result in large fines or jail time.
A famous case is Vicki Momberg, who was sentenced to three years in prison and became the first South African to receive a prison sentence for a racial utterance.
According to The Cape Times, she was found guilty of four counts of crimen injuria after racially abusing Black police officers following a smash-and-grab incident, during which she used the slur "no fewer than 48 times."
Source: Instagram
South Africans react to Enhle Mbali's speech
Online users were not moved by Enhle's statements about black hair and tore her up in the comments section.
kmag__ said:
"And she’s so excited saying this next to that white lady. So many synonyms in the Oxford dictionary to express that she has coarse hair, but she chose that specific one."
kea97x was stunned:
"Why would she say that? Agh."
Crouch_khathi wrote:
"I don't get how some black South Africans struggle to articulate themselves in multiracial settings, sometimes because they are trying too hard to fit in. I mean, why would you find this humorous?"
SimplyTops added:
"There are a lot of black people like her who are in these spaces with coloured and white people, who try to appeal to them by regurgitating racist stereotypes and making them 'jokes' to win them over. Because deep down, they just have low racial esteem."
wise30152072 slammed Enhle Mbali:
"Blacks who perform for whites."
Sizwe Dhlomo slammed for provoking Gayton McKenzie
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Sizwe Dhlomo bashing Gayton McKenzie - again.
The radio personality was criticised for deliberately mocking McKenzie unprovoked, much like his apparent one-sided years-long war with Vusi Thembekwayo.
Source: Briefly News
