ERA by DJ Zinhle Issues Women's Safety Guide Amid South Africa's GBV Crisis

• DJ Zinhle's lifestyle brand ERA shared a women's safety advisory across its official platforms amid growing national concern over GBV
• The statement offered practical tips on staying safe while making clear that the responsibility for violence lies with perpetrators, not victims
• ERA's post comes as SAPS advisories in Gauteng drew criticism from activists who say such warnings burden women rather than address systemic violence

DJ Zinhle's lifestyle brand, ERA by DJ Zinhle, has added its voice to the national conversation around gender-based violence (GBV) in South Africa, releasing a public safety advisory directed at women. Captioned "Women deserve to be safe," the post struck a careful balance between offering genuine protective advice and firmly rejecting any suggestion that victims share responsibility for the violence committed against them.

What ERA's safety advisory said

The statement urged women to communicate their plans ahead of time and share live locations with people they trust. It also encouraged friends to actively check in on one another when travelling home, and advised women who feel unsafe to move towards staffed businesses or groups of people nearby.

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Importantly, the brand also addressed how information spreads online, asking the public not to share unverified warnings or panic-driven rumours on social media. Instead, ERA asked people to report suspicious activity directly to the police using the emergency numbers 10111 or 112. The post closed with an unambiguous line:

"Violence against women is never the victim's fault. We all have a responsibility to make our communities safer."

See post here:

The wider GBV debate in South Africa

The advisory arrives during a particularly charged period of public debate. Authorities in Gauteng recently issued SAPS advisories that cautioned women against running alone or travelling unaccompanied, a move that drew sharp backlash from activists and organisations including Women For Change. Critics argued that such guidance shifts the burden of safety onto potential victims rather than confronting perpetrator behaviour and the systemic failures that enable GBV.

ERA by DJ Zinhle's statement appears to acknowledge that tension directly, threading the needle between practical precaution and accountability. By centring the language around community responsibility and explicitly rejecting victim-blaming, the brand positioned itself alongside voices calling for a more holistic approach to women's safety in South Africa.

Zanele Potelwa called out SAPS for their statement

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ANC condemns spate of women's murders in Ekurhuleni as SA slams party's response to GBV

Presenter Zanele Potelwa called out authorities for urging women to be vigilant after multiple bodies were discovered in Kempton Park.

Potelwa questioned what women are supposed to do after noticing danger, arguing that vigilance alone cannot protect them.

Source: Briefly News