Peekaboo, we see through you! Media firm slammed as 'fraud'

When Joyce Chibwesha was offered a chance to advertise her elegant lodge in Sandton overlooking the willowed banks of the Sand River, she couldn’t resist the offer of a huge discount to advertise in a women’s magazine. The fact that well-known socialite Edith Venter was indicated as a director helped seal the deal for her.

Little did she know the four-page spread in The Business Woman magazine would never materialise. According to the presentation the Peekaboo and Absolute Media group made to her to market their company, they have featured businesswomen Basetsana Kumalo, Transnet Freight Rail executive manager Cynthia Ndaba and Kutana Investments Group CEO Thoko Mokgosi-Mwantembe on their cover before.

Chibwesha, 69, is among the 35 business owners in the hospitality, beauty and hunting industry who allege they have been defrauded by Peekaboo and Absolute Media in South Africa, after promises of advertising that never materialised.

At the heart of the claims – and now a police and forensic firm investigation – are promises of hugely discounted advertising tariffs, accommodation and trips in return for advertising, and claims of government support.

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