Homegrown fast-food franchise Nando's has a long-standing reputation for political flair in a South African context, and now the franchise which opened in the U.S. a few years ago is carrying on the legacy.
Nando's U.S. joined in the social activism against U.S. President Donald Trump's Muslim ban, with posters promoting the the restaurant as "an immigrant employing‚ gay loving‚ Muslim respecting‚ racism opposing, equal paying, multicultural restaurant."
Check this out @RyanOConnorZA. So proud of @NandosSA & USA! Nandos is giving Trump the finger: https://t.co/l5hU9GGn8F#EveryoneIsWelcomepic.twitter.com/wgpzbrDF0I
We love the undertaking, America, but you'll never match us. Here is a round up of our favourite Nando's politically inspired ads, from the fast-food franchise that once registered as a political party — the New African National Democratic Organisation, the "political wing" of Nando's — so it could put up "election" posters in the 2004 election.
This one followed then-CEO of Eskom Brian Molefe's tearful claim at a media briefing that he hadn't been visiting President Jacob Zuma's friends the Gupta family in Saxonwold, as the Public Protector's State of Capture report indicated, but he'd been visiting a shebeen. The shebeen still hasn't been found.
They had Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan's back when he and the National Treasury came under attack.
Then there was the ongoing call from across the country to Zuma to #PayBackTheMoney arising from the substantial amount of state expenditure on non-security features at Zuma's private home Nkandla (he finally paid it).
And don't forget the notorious Gupta family, whose relationship with the president spawned media headlines of "Guptagate"... where's that gate?
And there was the tribute to South African hero, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.
And when Madonsela's State of Capture report on Zuma's links with the Guptas was on the way and the president tried to stop it there was another dig, with a reference back to an embarrassing speech in which Zuma mixed up the numbers.