Mel Viljoen’s R500k Fundraiser for Peet Viljoen’s Legal Costs Taken Down by BackaBuddy

• BackaBuddy removed Mel Viljoen's crowdfunding campaign and confirmed that eligible donors will receive refunds
• Sli Sebata shared an update on Twitter, which included a statement from the fundraising platform explaining why the fundraiser was shut down
• Mel Viljoen deletes social media content amid controversy while promoting her new beauty business

It never rains but pours for former reality TV stars Mel and Peet Viljoen after their crowdfunding campaign was shut down by BackaBuddy, leaving donors in line for refunds. Mel Viljoen had turned to South Africa's popular fundraising platform seeking half a million rand to cover her husband's legal costs.

Hours after screenshots of Mel Viljoen asking for donations emerged, BackaBuddy announced that it had removed the campaign from its platform. eNCA journalist Sli Sebata, who previously shared a video of Mel Viljoen storming out of their interview after being asked a question that touched a raw nerve, brought the development to wider public attention in a post shared on her official X (Twitter) account on Tuesday, 7 July 2026.

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Why did BackaBuddy remove Mel Viljoen's fundraiser?

In her post, Sli Sebata included a screenshot of a statement shared by BackaBuddy on the campaign page. The post was captioned:

“[UPDATE] BackaBuddy shuts down the campaign. Donors will be refunded.”

In the statement, BackaBuddy explained the decision to shut down the campaign, saying that it was made in keeping with its platform standards and terms and conditions. The platform stressed that such calls are never made lightly and are driven by its commitment to fairness, transparency, and community trust.

“All eligible donations are in the process of being systematically refunded," the platform confirmed.

BackaBuddy added that donors with questions about their refund timelines could contact its support team directly. Previous reports indicated that the campaign had raised R3,500 over six days before it was removed.

Read the full statement, which was shared in a post by Sli Sebata below:

SA reacts after BackaBuddy removes Mel Viljoen's campaign

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Sli Sebata’s update sparked a flurry of reactions on the microblogging platform.

Here are some of the comments:

@CharmSidell said:

“Just when you think there’s nothing worse than what you’re already going through, then the worst happens 😭”

@patoninxs suggested:

“Shem, they could approach the likes of @afriforum and @solidariteit to fund this. They were singing from the same hymn book while in the USA.”

@Diamond_Blackie remarked:

“🤭 wow, interesting. I wonder what happened. Fortunately for them, there is still legal aid.”

@limphoseeiso_ said:

“I just need those donors to be exposed first 😂😂😂🤣🤣 um so curious. I wish it was possible.”

@AlexisTshangana commented:

“No brand wants to be associated with bad publicity. Good near-crisis management on their part✍️👌”

@SikhoPhilani asked:

“How much had they raised?”

Mel Viljoen wipes her social media clean

Meanwhile, Briefly News previously reported that Mel Viljoen raised eyebrows after she deleted content from her social media accounts.

However, she kept the name of her new beauty business in her Instagram bio despite growing scrutiny surrounding her previous Tammy Taylor nail saloon franchising business.

Source: Briefly News