Several Nike stores in South Africa have been closed after the online circulation of a video featuring an employee’s husband making racist remarks, according to a report from Reuters.
A video that surfaced earlier this week featured businessman Adam Catzavelos describing a beach in South Africa as “heaven on earth” because there were no black people around, referring to them as ‘kaffir,’ an offensive apartheid-era slang term. Catzavelos’ wife is Kelly Catzavelos, brand merchandise manager for Nike Africa.
The discovery of Catzavelos’ wife’s identity led to several calls for a boycott on Twitter.
In a statement provided to Times Live, Nike has confirmed that Catzavelos is not an employee of the company and stressed the brand’s inclusive ethos.
“Nike opposes discrimination and has a long-standing commitment to diversity, inclusion and respect,” the statement reads.
