Sex toys may be illegal in many African states but social taboos are fading

Sex toys. Asking about them in polite society usually causes raised
eyebrows and mumbles about inappropriateness, but you don’t need
to be a private detective to discover that they’re bought, sold and used
anywhere you care to look in Africa.

The sale of sex toys is illegal in many
countries, although some governments rely on social
shame – which is fading fast – as a means of regulation. Nonetheless,
even where selling them remains illegal, sex toys still manage to creep
across the border.

What seems to be happening is that governments are
anti-sex toys but the people aren’t. The internet has made it easier
for anyone who wants an erotic helper to bypass the law, but it’s importers who
shoulder the risks since they’re the ones likely to have their goods seized at customs. This probably accounts for the relatively high prices
of sex toys in many countries.

Countries such as Zimbabwe and Mauritius have actively said no to
bedroom trinkets but there are
websites that offer tips on how to sneak your sex toys on holiday.

Here’s how the sex toy situation differs from country to country:

South Africa: a thriving industry

You might be surprised to learn
that it’s only in the last decade that it stopped being illegal to manufacture or sell sex toys in South Africa. We have the apartheid government to thank for the Immorality Amendment Act of 1969, which prohibits the sale of any item “intended to be used to perform an
unnatural sexual act” – an amendment apparently intended to prevent the
use of dildos by lesbians. It’s gratifying to be able to report that South
Africa now has one of the most liberal constitutional and legal
frameworks in the world on matters sexual.

What that means is that in South Africa today you cannot throw a stone without hitting an Adult World, although some of its branches so dark and seedy you worry you’ll catch an STD just walking in.

The chain, which has 60 stores
nationwide, is currently embroiled in a tiff with the ANC for opening a store opposite Parliament in Cape Town.

Adult World’s selection of products ranges from videos for all tastes
(BDSM, lesbian porn, women in cheerleader outfits) all the way to
10-inch long replicas of male genitalia.

There are more tasteful shops around, such as the Whet Sensuality Emporium in Cape Town. It’s women and couples oriented – they even manufacture their own lubricant and the owner gives advice to couples in her consultation room.

Then there’s the annual SEXPO, showcasing the best of the best in terms of sex toys, costumes and general erotica. Not to
mention the hundreds of online stores such as HoneyHoney and FemmeSensuelle.

Kenya: the taboo is fading

Taboo surrounding sex toys in Kenya has pretty much faded, especially in
Nairobi where more and more sex shops are opening. One example is River Road – although be warned it’s also where to go for anything
from AK 47s to fake death certificates or Harvard Masters certificates,
printed while you wait. There’re also online sites such as Bored of Men.

Kenyan law prohibits the sale of pornography and “obscene materials”, but according to Nairobi lawyer Humprey Manyange there is no law in
Kenya that prohibits the sale, distribution or circulation of sex toys. He added that “there
should be caution on the mode of display and selling to avoid the
disturbance of public peace and breach of public morality.”

Kenyans are spoilt for choice online with stores such as Doctor Crocodildo; Pazuri Place (who claim to have delivered over 1,300 packages since 2009); RahaToys (“If you are in Nairobi, we send the delivery guy to bring the item to you”); The Secret Kenya and kenyasecrets.com (“the finest and biggest collection of sex toys in Kenya), offering same-day deliveries.

This more relaxed attitude means Kenyans no
longer need to have their sex toys mailed in discreet unmarked
packages. Women are now spending up to
10,000ksh ($112) on vibrating bullets, but you also have shops like the
aforementioned RahaToys where you can get a super stretchy gel erection
ring for the low, low price of 420 Ksh ($4) or a Fetish Fantasy Series
Door Swing for 5,590 Ksh.

Zimbabwe: confusion over the rules

In Zimbabwe the daughter of a well known businessman (who also happens
to be a former ZANU-PF MP as well as a cousin of Robert Mugabe) caused
tongues to wag when she held sex toy auctions in Harare and organised peep shows whilst selling a selection of lingerie
– all of which was labelled “immoral” by
government officials.

Vannessa Chiyangwa’s case revealed a contradiction in
the government’s official position on sex toys. According to Zimbabwe
Revenue Authority’s director of legal and corporate services, Florence
Jambwa, the importation of the toys into the country is prohibited under
the Customs and Excise Act. However, Censorship Board secretary Isaac
Chiranganyika said whoever intended to import or trade in sex toys had
to seek permission from the board.

“Anyone who wants to do
that business should first bring them [the toys] to our offices for
approval,” he added.

Perhaps the board’s staff members want test drive the products, for quality control? Joking aside, the rules are confusing. It’s illegal to import sex toys but you must have your sex
toys approved by the censorship board before you’re allowed to sell the illegal
imports? Perhaps the government is trying to encourage local sex-toy
manufacturing.

People have been caught
smuggling sex toys into Zimbabwe, with some of the main culprits being foreigners attending the Harare International Festival of The Arts. Apparently officials confiscated the highest number of sex toys during the festival. Arty folk, eh! But more seriously, this is
probably an attempt to crackdown on lefty festival with it’s “foreign” connections.

The Board say they’ve kept all the vibrators and dildos impounded
over the past two years (most of the sex toys are for use by women, but
there are some “female organs” among the contraband). But this claim was contradicted by Florence Jambwa, who says they destroy all the sex toys
they confiscate. Sounds like the Censorship Board members are having a
whale of a time at home. And seeing as the festival was only a few weeks
ago, they must have all new stock.

Nigeria: contraband but rampant

If you read the article This is Africa posted recently about Nigerians and their sex toys, you probably assumed sex toys were legal in Nigeria. Not so. They are contraband, according to government officials.

Nigerians might come over all abashed when you raise the topic in
public, but sex toys are starting to become more popular,
even in the northern states that abide by Sharia law. Perhaps government officials have enough wahala on their hands to add chasing
after sex toy importers to the list, or maybe they know they’ll be onto a
losing battle if they do.

Sex toys know no age, social class or marital
status barriers in Nigeria. In Lagos, one newspaper journalist found
more than 20 shops selling sex toys (mostly small stalls). One
trader, who preferred to remain anonymous, said most of his customers
were couples, with the male partners saying they preferred to have a toy
as a “competitor” rather than another man. Another
trader said she had to take her business online because people who had
the “balls” to enter her shop just browsed a lot without buying much.
Her sales went up by 120% with the move.

On the upscale end of the market, there was an influx of Swedish-made sex dolls
into the country a few years ago. According to the product specs, the dolls’ skin was “99.8% human texture”– as it should be with a price tag of $6,000. Clearly imported for the rich, these super dolls. The dolls last two years, are completely
adjustable to any position, have 100 sensors all over the body
(including 30 in/on the private parts) and get “wet” and moan when
penetrated, apparently. “Best money you will ever spend,” said one man
who is either the sole importer or a very, very happy customer.

For those not wishing to break the bank, there’s Intimate Pleasures, Nigeria’s first online sex shop catering specifically to women. The
owner, feminist writer and human rights activist Iheoma Obibi,
also holds wellness classes and intimacy afternoon sessions.

There are shops selling sex toys in Ghana, offline (in Accra some street hawkers even sell them) and online Area 51, GH erotic (where you can WhatsApp your order). Though, again, the Ghanaian government
considers sex toys “obscene” and has been known to close down sex
shops;. In Swaziland, women have been known to throw “product parties” and there have been calls for the government to legalise the sale of sex toys. Supporters say there’s no valid reason why women should be deprived of
their inviolable right to choose how they pleasure themselves.

This appears to be a case of governments failing to move with the
times, and to comprehend the reasonable desires of their citizens. Governments, we want our sex toys, and we will get them any way we can, whether you like it or not!

A longer version of this article originally appeared on This is Africa

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