No looks, no cash, no date

03 August 2015 - 09:15 By NIVASHNI NAIR

While South Africa's single men favour beautiful women for a prospective companion, single women seek tall, wealthy men. A survey of more than 3250 members of the matchmaking service MatchVIP revealed that men in senior positions primarily go for looks while their female counterparts are seduced by fat payslips.MatchVIP owner and dating coach Bonita Grobbelaar said 91% of women were concerned with the earnings of a partner, compared to 53% of men.Engineers, according to MatchVIP statistics, are the worst-paid professionals in the country. Women seduced by status should rather cast their net in the banking world, she said.Grobbelaar added: "Failing that, they may want to hang around the Eskom cafeteria as employees in relatively senior positions seem to out-earn their peers from other companies."She said she has yet to meet a man who does not list physical attractiveness as a primary requirement for a partner."It's a fact, men prioritise looks above anything else. Only 22% of men would consider dating an overweight female while women, by contrast, are more forgiving with 59% of them willing to date a man with a 'boep'."More than 85 % of the executives aged between 29 and 50 describe themselves as "slim or athletic" - and usually work at banks, telecommunication companies or financial management enterprises.Jasmin Kooverjee, principal psychologist at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, said professional women want partners who match their earnings."When we look for qualities in people, it's about what we see that either matches us or can give us something we may not be achieving. A woman earning well needs a financially stable guy because naturally she doesn't want to feel like she has to look after her partner."There is also the issue of the guy feeling inferior, and his self-esteem is also taken into consideration."..

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