MaWhoo Continues To Face Backlash As Drinking and Driving Ad Gets Pulled
- South African singer MaWhoo has sparked controversy after appearing to drink alcohol before driving in a car advert, prompting backlash across social media
- The singer was accused of promoting drinking and driving, which is a major contributor to the high number of road fatalities in the country
- Despite the commercial being removed from official pages, online users remain curious about how the ad was approved in the first place
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Source: Instagram
MaWhoo and the car brand Jaecoo caused an uproar on social media with their latest commercial, which raised concerns about the singer promoting drinking and driving.
The Gucci hitmaker was hired to promote the brand's latest J5 model on social media, which offers a blend of luxury and technology at a more accessible price point than traditional luxury brands.
In the advertisement, posted by Musa Khawula on 5 October 2025, MaWhoo (real name Thandeka Nontobeko Ngema) is seen enjoying a solo picnic, complete with charcuterie boards and champagne, intended to promote a sense of affordable luxury.
The Bengicela singer later enjoys a glass of bubbles before taking the driver's seat and driving off, which instantly sparked criticism on social media.
The online community did not take kindly to the ad, which was accused of condoning bad driving behaviour, especially with the high number of fatalities linked to drunken driving.
The Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) estimates that as much as 27% of road fatalities in South Africa are linked to alcohol consumption.
Source: Instagram
Responding to the backlash, News24 reports that the National Brand and Marketing Manager for Jaecoo and Omoga, Shannon Gahagan, highlighted the company’s zero-tolerance policy on drinking and driving.
"We remain unwavering in our stance against drinking and driving, and will continue to promote responsibility and uphold the highest standards across our community."
This was after the ad was removed on Monday, 6 October; however, it has been reshared on social media, and online users continue to slam MaWhoo and Jaecoo for the humongous blunder.
Briefly News has contacted MaWhoo’s management for comment. This is a developing story.
Watch MaWhoo's advertisement below:
Social media criticises MaWhoo
The online community did not hold back on its criticism of MaWhoo and the car brand. Read some of their comments below:
_Makhanya_ said:
"Celebrating drinking and driving."
Aquafinalou asked:
"But why is she drinking?"
Source: Instagram
RDSanders007 criticised:
"What a poor advert. @Jaecoosa, you're promoting drinking and driving. Poor form! Poor form!!"
enzosabela noted:
"There are certain companies/ campaigns that target a specific kind of influencers in SA. Mawhoo’s Jaecoo advert, where she drank what could be alcohol and drove a car, showed me a different perspective on this influencer game. It all came to light with the Russian influencer saga."
As more and more online users continue to criticise Jaecoo's choice of influencer, many also raise the question of the quality assurance, or lack thereof, behind the scenes. Meanwhile, MaWhoo has yet to respond to the backlash.
MaWhoo responds to rumours about her dating life
In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to MaWhoo's statement after she was rumoured to have dated a top player in the music industry.
The singer poured water on the allegations; however, it wasn't long before more rumours surfaced about the relationship.
Source: Briefly News
