Kairo Forbes faces backlash for featuring in Ackermans’ back-to-school campaign, sparking debates on privilege and representation in advertising.
Kairo Forbes, the 10-year-old daughter of DJ Zinhle and the late rapper AKA, has once again found herself at the center of a heated social media debate after appearing in a new back-to-school campaign for Ackermans, a popular South African retail chain.
The campaign, which also features Khumo, a rising star from the soap opera Scandal, has ignited fierce discussions about privilege, representation, and the way brands market to consumers.
Forbes, already an award-winning child influencer with over a million Instagram followers, has become a household name, and her latest campaign is no exception.
However, her participation in the Ackermans back-to-school advert has sparked significant criticism from social media users who argue that the retailer is missing an important opportunity to represent the less privileged children who make up much of their customer base.
These critics suggest that using Forbes, a well-known celebrity child from an affluent family, is tone-deaf and out of touch with the realities faced by the majority of the brand’s customers.
A particularly vocal critic, Facebook user Gomolemo Moela, shared their concerns in a post that quickly went viral. “I’m not against Ackermans using Kairo and Khumo to advertise uniforms.
Moela continued, pointing out that Ackermans’ primary customers are often grandmothers from rural areas who buy uniforms for their grandchildren using their SASSA cards, which are provided by the government.
The post concluded by suggesting that less privileged children, who represent the real customer base of Ackermans, should be given the chance to advertise for the brand instead.
The criticism continued on Twitter, where user @joy_zelda echoed similar concerns, questioning why Kairo is regularly chosen for high-profile ads when many underprivileged children face struggles that are far removed from the world Kairo represents.
“We need to be honest about Kairo,” @joy_zelda wrote. “Why is she getting to be on every ad? First it was Nedbank, now it’s Ackermans.
Yet she has rich parents and has enough of everything. Meanwhile, many underprivileged children are poor and not recognized. Black South African kids also deserve this life.”
This sentiment was widely shared by others who felt that representation in advertising should be more inclusive of the country’s socio-economic realities, rather than solely focusing on children who already come from privileged backgrounds.
But the backlash has also seen a surge of support for Kairo and Ackermans, with many defending the child influencer and offering a different perspective on the situation.
South African musician Lady Du, known for her outspoken views, stepped in to defend Kairo, urging critics to leave the young girl alone.
“This child has been through enough already! She lost her father, she’s trying so hard to cope,” Lady Du posted.
“If Ackermans wants to choose Kairo, who are we to even want them to choose someone else? Stop making kids trend! They get bullied in schools, they see your posts. Leave the kids alone!”
Lady Du’s words resonated with many who feel that Kairo, as a young child, is unfairly targeted by public opinion, especially given the personal hardships she has endured, including the loss of her father, AKA, earlier in 2023.
In a similar vein, other supporters pointed to the business aspect of the campaign, highlighting that Kairo is not just a child celebrity but a brand in her own right. “Kairo has a huge following. If they use her, people will buy.
Why should black people think that they are entitled to things? Kairo’s parents worked hard to make sure she gets these opportunities,” user @amira2423 remarked.
This perspective suggests that Kairo’s role in the Ackermans campaign is not just about her family background, but about leveraging her influence as a successful young entrepreneur who is building her own brand.
Another user, @TheQueencess, took to Twitter to explain the collaboration from a marketing standpoint, noting that Kairo’s association with the retailer goes beyond just an advertisement.
“Kairo is a brand, that’s why you see Kairo x Ackermans. She stocks her clothing brand at Ackermans, so this is a business collaboration,” @TheQueencess explained.
“She is an award-winning kid influencer, so it’s a win for Ackermans marketing.”
This clarification highlights the growing trend of influencers, even young ones, becoming integral parts of business partnerships, where their personal brand and marketability outweigh traditional notions of what constitutes “representation” in advertising.
This latest campaign is not Kairo’s first collaboration with Ackermans. Just a few months prior, in September, Kairo launched a spring/summer collection for children with the retailer, which was widely celebrated and marked a significant milestone in her career.
With her clothing brand now stocked at Ackermans, Kairo’s presence in the latest back-to-school ad can also be seen as part of a larger business strategy that ties in her fashion line with the retailer’s marketing efforts.
Critics of the campaign, however, are not backing down. They continue to argue that Ackermans, as a brand that predominantly serves lower-income South Africans, should prioritize giving voice and visibility to children from more modest backgrounds.
By selecting Kairo, they argue, the retailer misses an opportunity to authentically represent the realities of its customer base.
Some also suggest that by featuring already wealthy and well-known children in their campaigns, brands like Ackermans perpetuate a cycle of exclusion for the many South African children who could benefit from such high-profile opportunities but do not have the same advantages.
The ongoing debate over Kairo Forbes’ role in the Ackermans campaign reflects deeper societal issues surrounding privilege, representation, and the commercial exploitation of child influencers.
While Kairo’s supporters argue that she is a product of her parents’ hard work and success, and that her influence is an asset to Ackermans, critics maintain that the brand should be more mindful of its core audience and the power of true, inclusive representation.
As the discussions unfold on social media, one thing remains clear: the intersection of business, celebrity, and social responsibility is never simple, and Kairo Forbes, whether she intended to or not, has become the focal point of a much larger conversation about privilege and the responsibility of brands in shaping cultural narratives.
