WATCH | 'Mobile strip club' hits the road in Johannesburg

A Johannesburg club owner has started a mobile strip club in a customised bus to entertain adults while ensuring his staff earn a living during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chivalry Gentlemen’s club in Primrose, Germiston, was forced to shut its doors when the pandemic hit the country and the lockdown was implemented.

Like many similar businesses, they were not allowed to operate and could not generate any income.

“We needed to do things differently after the lockdown kicked in because we could not open our doors for the normal club, so we came up with another idea,” said spokesperson, Keenan Minnie.

The “mobile club”, which restricts the number of patrons, opened its doors on Monday.

Patrons entering the bus, while getting their hands sanitised, climb up a silver staircase and are greeted by long white “couches”, neon light strips, a flat screen television, sound system, and a mini bar (not yet serving alcohol). And strippers.

The bus is certified to carry 23 passengers, but the lockdown regulations allow only half that capacity to be carried to maintain social distancing. Minnie said the club had decided to take just six people as an extra safety precaution.

Unlike an ordinary club, the bus can transport patrons to their desired location within a reasonable kilometre radius at a cost of R2,000 per hour.

Clients are able to choose their preferred strippers or elect to be surprised.

Operating under the lockdown means there is no physical contact with the strippers.

The club employs 46 female strippers or adult entertainers from different races and backgrounds, said Minnie.

The women were not shy as they gave TimesLIVE a snippet of what they had in store, dancing with masks on.

Minnie said health and safety precautions were top of the club’s agenda.

“The reason we’re allowing only a few people is to ensure social distancing. No-one is allowed inside without a mask, no physical contact is permitted and constant sanitising is required,” he said.

“Invisible bouncers” were on standby to ensure compliance and the safety of the strippers.

Club owner Dean Minnie said: “Demand has been good, but I think what’s also important is that everybody makes a living. Our cleaners, bouncers, drivers.

“If we get four, five trips a day, it helps everybody make money. It helps us keep busy instead of hanging back waiting for level one, which could be in a long time,” said Minnie.

He believes there will be a demand for the service even after the lockdown.

“Once the lockdown is over, we can have bachelor parties, bachelorette parties, matric after-parties, birthdays, corporate functions ...," he said.  

Though the bus did not generate even a quarter of the club's revenue, it provided a lifeline to staff, he said.