K Naomi responds to colourism claims over daughters’ skin tones

South African media personality K Naomi has found herself at the centre of a social media debate after a post about her daughters’ different skin tones prompted accusations of colourism.

The television presenter and influencer, whose real name is Keitumetse Naomi Phakathi, had shared a heartfelt message about missing her children and noticing their resemblance to important women in her family.

However, her description of the girls’ complexions quickly became the focus of online criticism, with some users questioning why their skin tones needed to be highlighted.

What K Naomi said about her daughters

In her Instagram post, K Naomi explained that her daughter Ama often played outside and appeared darker-skinned, while her younger daughter, Nethisa, had a much lighter complexion.

“Missed my girls so much… Guys, Ama is allways playing outside, but she looks darker because Nethisa is SO light, she looks exactly like my mother-in-law,” she wrote.

She also pointed to similarities between her daughters and other family members, framing the post around the familiar experience of recognising relatives in children’s features.

But not everyone interpreted the comments as an innocent observation about family resemblance.

Some social media users argued that drawing attention to the difference in the girls’ complexions risked reinforcing harmful attitudes towards darker skin.

Social media users weigh in

One critic, Tiffany Law, questioned why K Naomi felt the need to explain her older daughter’s darker complexion, arguing that there was no reason to justify the child’s appearance.

Law suggested that the explanation could imply that the girl’s skin tone required clarification, particularly given that K Naomi herself is dark-skinned.

Another social media user, Miss M, shared her perspective as a dark-skinned woman who said she had experienced colourism throughout her life.

She described the comments as an example of colourism within a family, ending her criticism with the word “Yuck”.

The reaction has reignited discussion around colourism, a form of discrimination in which people are treated differently based on their skin tone. It often involves the preferential treatment of lighter skin over darker skin.

In South Africa, conversations about skin tone remain shaped by a history of colonialism and apartheid, which entrenched racial hierarchies and influenced social perceptions of beauty.

K Naomi pushes back against the accusations

K Naomi has since responded to the criticism, expressing disbelief that a sentimental post about her children had sparked allegations of colourism.

She explained that her intention was to celebrate the girls and the resemblance they share with women who hold significant places in her life.

“Apparently, I’m being called a colourist for posting a picture of my children and sharing how much they remind me of two significant women in my life,” she said.

The media personality maintained that each child has her own distinctive features and that the post was intended to highlight the family connections she sees in them.

“How a sentimental moment about family resemblance has turned into a conversation about colourism is honestly beyond me,” she added.

K Naomi also criticised what she viewed as the deliberate misinterpretation of her words, arguing that her post had been taken out of the context in which it was shared.

“Not everything needs to be interpreted through a negative lens. Sometimes, a mother is simply celebrating her children and the women she sees in them,” she said.

She further maintained that her comments had been made with innocent intentions and should not have been turned into something she did not intend.

The exchange has highlighted the sensitivity surrounding skin tone and family conversations, with critics focusing on the wording of the original post while K Naomi maintains that she was simply celebrating her daughters.

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Source: IOL