Subjected to abuse, clients who refuse to pay and law enforcement officers who force them to have sex in the back of police vans — this is the harsh reality for many Gauteng sex workers, three of whom spoke to TimesLIVE about their daily battle for survival on the streets.
This festive season some took a rare break from their gruelling work to spend time with their families, a short-lived reprieve from a life often marked by violence, stigma and exploitation.
TimesLIVE met three sex workers at the offices of the Sisonke National Sex Workers Movement in Johannesburg’s CBD. For each of them, the journey into sex work has been shaped by different circumstances, but their stories share the same thread of resilience.
A 38-year-old woman from GaMasela in Limpopo said she has been in the trade for more than a decade. “I don’t have a sad story, I have a sexual fantasy. I decided to make a career out of it. I would undress a man with my eyes and fantasise about what we would do,” she said.
Her work began at home, where her family ran a tavern, and she had five boyfriends at the time, she said.
“A neighbour suggested my boyfriends should start paying, and it didn’t sound like a bad idea. Back then there was a popular saying that ‘a chicken should be plucked’, meaning we should milk the men dry of their money.”
South Africa has an estimated 150,000 sex workers. For years there have been calls to decriminalise sex work to ensure better protection for those in the industry, who face high rates of violence and discrimination
After moving to Johannesburg, she was introduced to the street life by friends, and it was there she met her French husband. “He used to be my client, but unlike others, he would come to talk. He had lost his wife and was lonely. He allows me to continue with my work, though when I’m working we don’t have sexual relations,” she said.
A 39-year-old from Dennilton in Mpumalanga said she was 21 when she turned to sex work. “After my mother passed away I had problems with my stepmother, who didn’t want me to go to school. I had a child to support and no-one was helping me,” she said.
She began going out on weekends and would receive mavuso, money given to a woman after spending a night with a man. “That money changed my life. I could finally take care of my child. Later I moved to Springs, where I met my fiancée. She was a regular customer and we ended up in a relationship,” she said.
When asked how her fiancée feels about her male clients, she laughed softly. “Sometimes she gets jealous, but there’s nothing she can do. I can’t survive on one client,” she said.
A 36-year-old woman from Johannesburg said she was introduced to sex work by a friend in 2009. “It wasn’t easy in the beginning. I remember not being able to attract clients. One day my friend had two clients and decided to share one with me,” she said.
She was later approached by a woman who owned a brothel and offered work. “They gave us phones and SIM cards for clients to call. From every cent I made I had to give her a share,” she said.
The Johannesburg woman said she always ensures she takes time off: “I never miss spending Easter and Christmas with my family. I switch off from everything and take a week off the streets. I save enough money before, but I often come back on New Year’s Eve because business is good then.”
The Limpopo woman, a mother of three aged six, 14 and 17, said she also plans carefully for the holidays. “During the year I save enough for Christmas clothes and school needs so I can afford to take a break. Anyway, most of our clients also go home to their families. By New Year’s I’m back in Johannesburg because that’s when business picks up,” she said.
Forum representatives asked TimesLIVE not to mention the explicit sexual acts or amounts paid by clients. Katlego Rasebitse , from the Sisonke forum, said doing so could put the women at further risk. “We don’t reveal details such as prices or specific acts because clients use the information to exploit or victimise them,” he said.
South Africa has an estimated 150,000 sex workers. For years there have been calls to decriminalise sex work to ensure better protection for those in the industry, who face high rates of violence and discrimination.
The police would come on Friday nights and threaten to arrest us. They’d make us choose between spending the weekend in jail or giving them free services in the back of the van.
— Johannesburg sex worker
One woman said she was once forced to stab a violent client who refused to pay. “When it was time to pay, he became aggressive. Luckily I always carry something in my handbag to protect myself,” she said.
Another recalled a harrowing encounter with police officers: “The police would come on Friday nights and threaten to arrest us. They’d make us choose between spending the weekend in jail or giving them free services in the back of the van. One night I slept with two officers. While I was busy with one, the other stole my handbag. When I complained they threw the empty bag at me and drove off with my hard-earned money.”
A 2021 study found:
- 70% of sex workers in South Africa have experienced physical violence;
- 60% have been sexually violated; and
- one in seven has been assaulted by police officers.
Rasetsibe said the organisation continues to fight for the rights of sex workers, particularly black women working in the inner city. “We’ve noticed police tend to target black female sex workers, while those working in suburban areas are often left alone,” he said.
Sisonke also works with the South African National Aids Council to develop better health and human rights policies for sex workers.
“If South Africa doesn’t decriminalise sex work, it won’t reach the UNAids 95-95-95 goal to end HIV by 2030,” Rasetsibe added.
TimesLIVE
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