Retail giant Woolworths has rolled out a new white, translucent shopping bag after its original black version went viral for all the wrong reasons. The shift comes in the wake of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where alleged criminal mastermind Vusimuzi Cat Matlala claimed he used a black Woolies bag in money-exchange dealings—including allegedly handing large sums to former Police Minister Bheki Cele.
Following this testimony, the black bag became a trending meme dubbed “the Money Bag.” Social media exploded, prompting Woolworths to quietly introduce a design that makes the bag’s contents easily visible.
Reactions online were swift and mixed:
- @lunathi_dy97575: “Woolworths doesn’t want to be taken for questioning.”
- @7441RDI: “Woolies switching to white transparent bags after that money saga is Marketing at its peak… the cheapest advertising they made all year.”
Woolworths then leaned into the buzz with a playful X post highlighting acceptable uses for the updated “W bag,” describing it as everything from “the national carrier” to “the multi-talented.”
The story even revived memories of Thabo Bester and Dr. Nandipha Magudumana, who were infamously tracked down in 2023 partly because of leaked images of them shopping at Woolworths.
