With the current xenophobic attacks going on in the country, people have turned to social media to show their support and to raise awareness about the unrest going on in South Africa.
#KFM encouraged users to light a candle on the 21st of April from 7-9pm and add their voice to other thousands of South Africans who say #NoToXenophobia. KFM fans also took to Facebook with pictures of themselves lighting candles.
Major South African brands have also voiced their opinion on the matter with their no tolerance policy by making use of the hashtag #NoXenophobia. While actual brands do have to be sensitive when talking about political concerns, the fact that they are uniting with South Africans, resonates with those who are also against xenophobia. When posting about xenophobia make sure it is relevant to your target audience and that your brand understands this complex socio-economic issue.
If you are wondering why many people’s Twitter and Facebook profiles are suddenly red, this is the latest trend to hit social media. People are “painting” their profile pictures red to show their solidarity against Xenophobia. Android users can use the following app to colour their picture red: http://www.androidslide.com/color-splash-fx, while IOS users can use the Google Play Store. The challenge encourages social users to change their profile red and invite three friends to change theirs.
Let’s just hope a trending hashtag on social media can turn into an action to stop these senseless attacks.