The fourth industrial revolution is in full swing! This is evident in the rise and success of sex work around the world. In 2021 pornography website OnlyFans’ financial results ending November 2021 saw content creators making $3.8 billion. A rise of 115% for the same period in the previous year.

This has sparked events company owner and feminist Zandile “Zandy” Mfeka to host a PornoPreneur Masterclass in Johannesburg, next month.

There is a significant rise in South African women who have OnlyFans accounts and are actively promoting their explicit content on various social media platforms.

Zandy, an academic and gender activist, lived in The Netherlands for almost three years and that is where the seed was planted for her to want to empower women to make money through sex work.

“In places such as The Netherlands and Italy, sex work is legal. They have an area called The Red Spot where it’s clean and safe to do sex work. Sex workers are also taxed because they contribute to the country’s GDP,” she says.

However, in South Africa sex work is still criminalised and we have seen the strides various organisations such as Sisonke, Sweat and Asijiki Coalition have made in fighting to decriminalise sex work. The traditional sex worker industry is dangerous, exploitative and unglamorous compared to the new digital age of sex workers. There are various challenges faced by sex workers to improve their quality of life, to ensure a safe working environment, address the risks of human trafficking and their need to have access to the justice system to address violence and abuse from clients, the police, intimate partners as well as brothel owners.

“With online sex work, the risk is low. Sex work is still a taboo in our communities. This masterclass will give women an opportunity to learn the skills to be able to open their accounts and start being financially independent. Most women stay in abusive relationships due to not being able to afford food, a roof over their heads or take care of their kids. With online sex work they can earn money safely, because the payments are linked to their bank accounts and free themselves from abusive relationships,”

Zandy says there are many people who are in transactional relationships such as the so-called “slay queens” yet they want to shame those women who openly choose to do sex work.

“People are getting into relationships for money, designer clothes and trips to Dubai. Why not do that online and look after yourself? The event was supposed to take place in August but we struggled to secure a sponsor. The one hotel we had booked cancelled our booking due to the stigma of sex work. We are now self-funding the event to create awareness among women to know that this is an option they can explore,”

She blames the South African government for not making a move on the sex work framework, which was revised in 2017.

She explains that women have always been commodified since ancient times from traditions such as lobola or dowry and marrying rich, the list is endless.

Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force Katlego Rasebitse says that he is not fazed by the rise and growth of digital sex work.

“The world is moving towards the fourth industrial revolution. Most industries are migrating towards having online options. But I’m not fazed as being part of the traditional sex work industry is not badly affected by the online platforms. Clients still want the human, physical element, some are afraid of sharing their banking details to purchase online sex work as they fear the reflection on their credit history and others just want convenience. They are also scared of being scammed. It’s good that there are other avenues to do sex work but it doesn’t help if our government is not taking the industry seriously. It’s over 70 years now fighting for the decriminalisation of sex work.” commented Rasebitse.

‘It is 2022 and sex work is still criminalised under the Sexual Offences Act that was drafted during the apartheid era. Sex workers autonomously choose to do this work; they are providers – parents, caregivers, taxpayers and should be treated as such. Sex work must be recognised as work! Sex workers rights should be part of labour rights” commented Dudu Dlamini – SWEAT Advocacy Manager.

”The master class will take place on the 29^th of October at the Bannister Hotel in Braamfontein.