“Unnecessarily draining the consumer's pocket”: An historical geography of advertising in South Africa's black urban townships

The implementation of an extraordinary body of legislation during the 1950s and early 1960s made township areas in South Africa effective ‘no go’ zones or ‘defended spaces’ against the predations of the advertising industry. In the post-World War II period an intense struggle was waged in South Africa for the hearts, minds and wallets of the black consumer between industry and advertisers on the one hand, and the local and national state on the other. The genesis, course and outcomes of this contest over the conditions governing advertising to urban township dwellers is the focus in this paper.