WeBuyCars is facing backlash over its new advert, which jokes about the Afrikaner refugee programme introduced in the United States in 2025.
The car trading platform’s newest commercial is titled “Selling Makes Dreams Come True,” and is set at the Atlanta International Airport in the US.
The ad takes place in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA Soccer World Cup, which was held in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
A white Afrikaans family is seen at the airport waiting in the international arrivals area. They greet a black family that has just flown in from South Africa.
The Afrikaans man asks how the other man was able to bring his family over to the US. The black father replies that he sold his vehicle on WeBuyCars to fund the trip.
In response, the Afrikaans man says that he and his family took advantage of the Afrikaner refugee programme to get a free trip to the US to watch the soccer.
“Trump flew us over. He thinks we’re going to stay. No, we only came over to watch the World Cup, and he is paying,” he said.
While the advert itself is played for jokes, many South Africans have taken issue with the perceived message, claiming it makes fun of the plight of Afrikaans refugees.
Andrea Shea, one of the individuals who moved to America, said the WeBuyCars advertisement was tasteless and disrespectful towards Afrikaners.
“In advertising, Afrikaners are almost always reduced to the goofy, khaki-wearing rugby fanatic, silly, carefree sports guy who exists purely for comic relief,” she said.
“Afrikaners are rarely shown as intelligent, educated, or thoughtful. This erases reality. They have given the world leading agriculturalists, doctors, and engineers.”
The YouTube commentator Renaldo Gouws also commented on the ad, questioning why WeBuyCars decided to produce a commercial about Afrikaans refugees.
“WeBuyCars thought it would be the perfect time to mock the Afrikaans refugees for deciding to leave the country. Classy stuff,” he said.
Most of the comments on the commercial’s YouTube page are also critical. “Imagine using the fear of being murdered in your own home to make a joke. Screw you guys,” reads one comment.
“Disgustingly disconnected with reality,” reads another. “This isn’t a joking matter. It’s real stuff, people are fleeing because of their lives being in danger with no help from their own country. Bad career move.”
Other commenters expressed their dissatisfaction with the platform, citing the advert as the final straw. “For what it’s worth, you lost me as a client,” said one individual.
“Why don’t you make videos about all the faulty cars you guys sell to customers?” said another commenter.
WeBuyCars responds
WeBuyCars has responded to the backlash, saying that the commercial was not intended to offend or mock Afrikaans refugees.
“This YouTube ad was created to celebrate sport as something that brings South Africans together, during Bafana Bafana’s World Cup campaign,” it said.
The company told our sister publication NewsDay that the advert’s themes tie back to earlier works based on the same idea.
“We understand the campaign has been received differently by some viewers, and we appreciate the feedback being shared,” WeBuyCars said.
“Mockery was never the intention. WeBuyCars serves customers across every community in South Africa, and we remain mindful of that in the work we put out.”
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