Woolworths Switches Up ‘The Money Bag’ After Cat Matlala’s Viral Testimony — SA Says “We See You, Woolies!”

South Africa, the Woolies Bag Saga has entered a new chapter! Woolworths has quietly rolled out a brand-new shopping bag design, and the timing has South Africans convinced it’s not a coincidence.

After Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s explosive Ad Hoc Committee testimony — where he confessed to delivering hundreds of thousands of rands stuffed inside the iconic black Woolies bag — Mzansi believes the retailer is running as far away from the scandal as possible.

Woolies Pulls a Surprise Move — and the Money Bag Isn’t Black Anymore

So here’s the tea: Woolworths’ new bag is not black, not discreet, and definitely not crime-boss approved.

Instead, it’s white. Clean. Innocent. Even a little see-through in the right light.

Mzansi took one look and said: “HA! Woolies is tired of the streets tarnishing its brand.”

The switch comes just days after Cat Matlala’s testimony went viral, where he told Parliament — with the confidence of someone giving a MasterClass in crime admin — that:

“Always operate with a Woollies bag. That is the money bag.”

 

According to him, he used the black Woolies bag to deliver R500 000 to former police minister Bheki Cele — because apparently, nothing says low-profile like luxury groceries.

Now Woolworths is out here serving eco-friendly, crime-free aesthetic. From 85% recycled paper bags to reusable plastic totes to see-through produce bags… let’s just say nothing in their current catalogue screams “R300K drop-off point.”

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Mzansi Weighs In — and the Internet Has ZERO Chills

When pictures of the new white bag hit X (formerly Twitter), South Africans wasted no time diagnosing Woolworths’ motives:

@Iam_Laxa: “Woolies said ‘no more black bags.’ Because Cat used the Woolies bag to deliver R300K like it was a lunchbox, now all our groceries are being audited.”

@positivegp: “So you all forced Woolies to change their bag with all the memes or they’re distancing themselves from AMASELA.”

@Snee_G: “Woolies said… ‘WE WILL NOT BE PART OF THIS MESS!’”

@pmcafrica: “Bag is white now… even the neighbours will see what’s in it. No more secret missions.”

Others were sentimental, even mourning the end of an era:

@DtalksZA7: “I must cherish my black bags… they’re basically collector’s items now.”

@Hosh_Don: “We’ll use it until it’s transparent. It’s a national asset.”

Even the jokes got class-conscious:

@SagewaseSouthAh: “They moved from crime to white-collar crime.”

So… Did Woolworths Change It Because of the Testimony?

Woolworths hasn’t said a word officially — which makes it even funnier.

Maybe it’s all part of their sustainability mission.
Maybe they’re fully trolling us. Or maybe they saw Cat Matlala trending and said, “Absolutely not.

Whether you use it for groceries or… uhm… “deliveries,” the Woolies bag remains undefeated in the culture.

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