"Used to Tormenting Women": Veli Ngubane Loses Job After Harassing 2 Women at Cannes Lions Festival

• Two US-based women shared a TikTok video recounting a deeply uncomfortable encounter with a man at the Cannes Lions festival in France
• The man, later identified as South African advertising executive Veli Ngubane, was filmed flipping over his badge mid-conversation
• The man stepped from his position as Co-Chief Creative Officer at Avatar following the incident

Two women attending the prestigious Cannes Lions advertising festival in the south of France found themselves at the centre of an uncomfortable and widely shared moment after posting a video about a man who repeatedly approached them with sexually inappropriate remarks.

The women, including TikToker @cocobassey, described taking a short break from a packed schedule of panels and networking meetings when a badge-wearing attendee approached them three times in quick succession. They initially could not hear what he was saying. When they finally did, they were shocked. He was telling them to "rate him."

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Assuming they were in a professional environment, the women initially responded warmly, calling him a "ten" to keep things light. The man then told them that being a ten meant he could take them back to his hotel room "no questions asked." One of the women said she looked around, wondering if it was a prank. She turned on her camera to record what followed.

Veli Ngubane loses job at Cannes Lions Festival

In the footage by @cocobassey, the man, later identified as a South African man Veli Ngubane, admitted to being drunk. He told the women that they were a 5 and a 6, and implied that they should he should be able to take them to his hotel since they said he is a 10. When one of the women mentioned where he worked, he was seen flipping his badge over, apparently aware that his behaviour was inappropriate. Ngubane served as Co-Chief Creative Officer at Avatar, a South African agency. Following the video's circulation, Ngubane lost his position, with officials reporting that he resigned following the incident.

In a follow-up video filmed at home, the women clarified that their intention was never to get anyone fired. They said their goal was simply to start a conversation about respect in professional spaces. Watch the original TikTok that sparked the response:

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South Africans applaud women

The video struck a deep chord with South African viewers, many of whom praised the women for speaking out:

@brenda.fussy:

"I never understand why women say they don't want perpetrators to be out of their jobs. But I'm happy that weird man was reported and held accountable. Go girls ❤️"

@afrasiangirlie: "

Karma dealt with him. You don't need to feel guilty. Probably saved so many women from being harassed by him. Ngiyabonga 🙏🏾"

@Ntombifuthi:

"Well done for speaking up, ladies! Proud of you ❤️ and your cute doggo 🐶"

@onionpootay:

"You did great! That man is used to tormenting women in South Africa, and they are usually silenced. He has now been exposed on an international platform! Big ups to you ladies"

@Buuuuu:

"Thank you for speaking out! As South African women, we are behind you!"

@Haywethu:

"We are glad you did what you did. It helped a lot of SA women 💐"

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@goratac:

"You both did great and were so considerate, fair and clear in your original post. Aluta continua 💓"

Other Briefly News stories about viral clashes

• An encounter in a South African taxi, where a woman boldly confronted a man for his argumentative behaviour towards female passengers.
• A Gauteng man who once again found himself in the public eye after disrespecting a BMW security guard, leading to widespread outrage and confusion among South Africans.
• An elderly woman confronting South African police officers for littering, an act that drew significant attention and sparked conversations about accountability within law enforcement.

Source: Briefly News