Playing with South Africa's seedy sex industry
What percentage of male football fans coming to South Africa are going to pay for sex? Any answer can only be a fairly wild guess, I suppose. But earlier this year I had a very frank conversation with a couple of members of the "Barmy Army," the famously excitable group that follows the England cricket team around the world and had just been touring South Africa. "I would honestly say 90% - I was shocked," was the candid answer I was given by one individual who didn't want to be named.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit BBC Webwise for full instructions
Ninety percent may, of course, be an exaggeration - or a phenomenon peculiar to cricket fans - but it does suggest that a fair number of visitors will get involved over the next few weeks in South Africa's sometimes murky sex industry.
"Don't" is the simple message from Britain's foreign office.
The FCO's consular boss, Julian Braithwaite urged England fans "to think long and hard before they engage in any sexual contact in this country. We can't get you out of jail for free." He told me his biggest concern, besides breaking the law in a country where prostitution remains illegal, was HIV and Aids.
There are no definitive statistics, but researchers have estimated that between 40 and 50% of sex workers may be HIV-positive. "It's a real health risk," said Mr Braithwaite.
But will that stop people? "I know the English and Germans are very randy," said Marvin Resant with a grin. He's the owner of several entertainment clubs in Johannesburg including "Maxime's" - a huge sports bar complex with a hotel on top of it, not far from the Ellis Park stadium. By early evening, last week, the lobby was packed with women. "As long as the fans go to the right places, like this place, where there is security, they'll be fine," said Mr Resant, but he expressed concern about the possibility of police raids. "The police always crack down. It will be very embarrassing if they do it during the World Cup. They should treat it with a lot of sensitivity." His advice for fans: "Condomise, and have fun."
A few blocks away, in a seedy hotel room above another bar, a 24-year-old prostitute called Busi was getting ready for a night on the streets. "I'm imagining lots of... different men, Italians, Romeo [sic], Spanish, Ghana..." she said. Busi is hoping to triple her daily earnings during the tournament and then, hopefully, get out of the business. "At times I feel scared. I drink and smoke just to have the courage to face what's happening." Busi is worried about Aids, but far more concerned about the rising competition from Zimbabwean women who are undercutting local prostitutes on the streets, and about the harassment, intimidation and occasional rapes carried out by South African police officers.
"I was raped by two police," said another prostitute I spoke to in Diepsloot, a notoriously violent township outside Johannesburg and an area that foreign fans are not likely to visit. The woman, and two colleagues, described their lives as being trapped between the gangsters who rob their clients, and the police who extort money from them. "You can die at any moment. We are just risking our lives," said an articulate Zimbabwean woman, who told me she hopes to become an actor and novelist.
I’m 
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~30~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
I can see some Brits using this service despite sound advice
Complain about this comment
To do proper research you must first determine how many male football fans pay for sex when at home.
Complain about this comment
The advice about using a condom is the South African government line and it's completely untrue. In laboratories condoms may offer 80 or 90% protection, but in the real world where the prostitute has 3 other STDs, all of which are acting as carriers for HIV, then actually they offer very little in the way of protection.
Just don't do it mate.
Complain about this comment
I have travelled widely and have met and worked with people who employ local sex workers. Most do not use the same services at home. It's part of the 'treat' of being overseas. In the Royal Air Force it was accepted, under what was known as the 10 West rule, that nobody on a detachment would mention what anyone got up to down route, whether paying for the pleasure or not, as was the more common case.
It is highly probable that red blooded men, with a lot of cash and a few beers inside them, will be tempted. The risk in South Africa, however, is greater than in the properly supervised and medically checked brothels that exist in parts of Europe and other western countries. I was at a brief where we were warned, by a Parachute Regiment Sergeant, that only 100% of sub-Saharan prostitutes are HIV positive. He might have been exaggerating, but the following slide show was enough to put any man off taking the risk.
Sadly some young men are going to return with a life shortening condition that they could avoid by abstinence.
Complain about this comment
There is a very great deal of speculation going on about this World Cup which stereotypes 'Africa', blackness, violence, risky sex and other such scary topics. I've been studying these phenomena for many years and some of my own ideas can be found in comments on this panicky thinking called Men and football: a recipe for sexual violence? at http://www.lauraagustin.com/men-football-sex
Complain about this comment
I think the issue of South Africa's high amount of rape and 15,000 cases of murder last year should be far more worry to the foreign office than prostitution
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I seriously worry for the wives and girlfriends of these so called fans.
I hope they know or are told very clearly, that with one of the highest HIV levels in the general population in the world, having sex is SA is a good way to get HIV.
Since some in a drink/drugs fueld frezy of bravado will have sex they should reflect - there is no cure for HIV. They will have this for life.
I trust that the NHS will not have to bear the costs of these selfish fools actions if they contract HIV.
Complain about this comment
As a mother, I cry for these girls and boys as after all they are somebody’s child. It appears as if they do not have a choice, no schooling, no guidance, no hope and no government programs to provide them with alternatives. What a novel idea it would be if the Government would offer them a way out? Safe houses, basic education and a transition plan. They do not seem to want to do this (which woman would?) and think it is only until they have enough money. Demand for sex will always be around and those that offer supply are always the victims in the end both physically and emotionally scared. If all you care about is whether or not, you will get HIV, and not about what evil you are contributing to, then quite frankly you deserve whatever illness. Maybe FIFA should be made liable?
Complain about this comment
We shouldn't allow to go unrecognised the fact that many women and often children who end up in this business have been tricked by traffickers into their situation. These are vulnerable and desperate human beings who are forced to sell themselves and can end up being raped up to 100 times a day to fulfill a quota.
We can't be too pious either, because this isn't just South Africa. This is everywhere and is almost certainly in the towns and cities we live in.
The situation isn't helped by the slightly risque atmosphere the sex industry enjoys in our country. Whatever your moral viewpoint of the subject and however technically legal the various sex establishments are, they give cover to or are a distraction from an appalling trade in people.
Not long ago we celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of William Wilberforce's bill abolishing the slave trade. It hasn't gone away.
We carry on our lives blinded by the 'normality' of these stories as folk did 200+ years ago.
One thing we can do is not let these stories be normal. If the 'sex industry' is referred to in any way it should carry a tag along the lines of, '... the business into which women and children are sold and then raped for the financial benefit of others'.
The police are overwhelmed by the scale of the problem and can only do so much, but individuals can turn this round - William Wilberforce did. There are organisations such as Stop the Traffik and Hope For Justice who are working to end this trade. You could get involved and fight this.
Complain about this comment
Andrew, 90% is a somewhat ridiculous estimate... maybe that's the percentage of men that would actually think about it - still, I do hope the World Cup visitors from abroad are aware of the risks and more importantly of the high HIV rate in this part of the world. Unless they're happy with betting their lives for a few minutes of fun, they're better off blowing their vuvuzela instead!
Complain about this comment
I think this prostitution issue in South Africa is overblown. In all honesty, those "90%" of the funs who are likely to engage in paid sex would do it anywhere: in Johannesburg or in Amsterdam or even in London. Why all this fuss about it, I don't get it. Perhaps you have you run out of negative stories to write about South Africa hence for such a seedy story.
Please stop doing this to Africa. South Africa wants you only to come and enjoy the beautiful game we all love, no matter the vices and virtues you bring with yourself to this beautiful land.
Complain about this comment
South Africa's sex industry "seedy"?
Isn't any country's sex industry "seedy"?
I think Britain's is pretty "seedy" too.
Complain about this comment
I would rather pay for sex (if i had to) in the UK/Europe than in Sierra Leone. Therefore you could argue this makes Sierra Leone's sex industry more, 'seedy'. Different degrees of seedyness
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS