South African entrepreneur Wendy Luhabe has been slammed on social media as the “black Helen Zille” for posting a tweet in which she says people who studied and worked during the apartheid regime have a better work ethic than the current generation.

In the tweet, posted on Wednesday, Luhabe says under apartheid “we had a much better work ethic, we were responsible for our lives understandably” and then adds that such attributes “have been replaced by a culture of entitlement and dependency” since South Africa became a democracy.

South Africans did not take kindly to this reflection and responded in their numbers to the businesswoman.

Many felt the tweet struck the same chord as Western Cape Premier Zille’s utterances about there being positive elements to colonialism.

“For me Wendy Luhabe’s tweet is no different from Helen Zille’s colonialism was better tweets,” Zingisa Mase responded.

Labelling citizens as “entitled” rubbed actress Nokuthula Ledwaba up the wrong way, prompting her to point out the system black people have to fight daily.

“That time we’re trying to work hard in a system that spits in our faces all the damn time. Still we get up and try. Before you label us, come to our side of town. Your tweet cut so deep. It’s cruel too,” Ledwaba responded.

Some commented on how connections, and not hard work, had led Luhabe to where she was today.

“I think the problem is the lie that their success was gained from hard work as an individual’s effort instead of contacts, community support, and loads of luck. Those investment deals Mam Wendy got are not as a result of hard work but her connections. I won’t go further…” Pinky Khoabane tweeted.

News24 reached out to Luhabe on Thursday but she declined to comment.

“I am not prepared to give reaction or comment on this,” Luhabe said.