How to ensure your sexts DON'T end up trending on Twitter

Home affairs minister Malusi Gigaba trended on Twitter for all the wrong reasons this weekend: a sex tape starring him, which was allegedly meant for his wife, was leaked to the public.

Many will deny it, but we all know people who sext (cough, maybe you?). If you don’t want to be caught in a sexting scandal, follow these tips to safeguard your saucy videos and messages:

1. NEVER SHOW YOUR FACE

... or anything else that could be used to identify you (think tattoos or birthmarks) in a sexy video or photo. Even if you don’t follow the rest of the tips on this list, at the very least follow this one. Learn the art of looking sexy, but completely indistinguishable, on camera.

2. WATERMARK YOUR NUDES 

Watermark your nude photos with the name of the person you are sending them to. This genius suggestion — which the Independent credits to Facebook user Annika Simons — was lauded as brilliant on social media because, if the recipient ever leaks the photo, it will implicate them too. Thus anyone you send naked photos to will have to think long and hard before sharing them.

WATCH | Malusi Gigaba's 'home affairs' sends Twitter into a spin

3. USE SHARING APPS TO SAFEGUARD YOUR NAUGHTY PHOTOS

Best Secret Folder and Keepsafe Photo Vault are just two of the apps that Mashable suggests you use to protect your precious saucy portraits from snooping eyes. Depending on the app you choose you could encrypt your folder of scandalous snaps, create decoy folders and even take pictures of possible intruders.

4. TURN OFF AUTOMATIC PHOTO-SYNCHING APPS

Make sure you have turned off synching apps such as Google Photos or iCloud Photo Library before you take a naked photo of yourself. That way you won’t be shocked by a snap of your nude body popping up on a ‘this time last year’ notification.

5. TIT FOR TAT

It's wise to sext with someone who'll send you saucy photos and videos of themselves back. That way if the relationship sours and they threaten to leak one of your naughty photos, you've got some equally incriminating snaps of them as insurance.