Property sought for sex shop

But, only once an affordable shop, zoned as Business 3, can be found.

“We’re looking for a more intimate setting, excuse the pun,” Mr Steve Giles, former owner of Isis Boutique in Middelburg told the Observer this week.

He said that a suitable property was found, next to Constantia Hotel, but that the 117m² setting is way too big, and the rent of R14 000 per month, too steep.

Mr Giles and his wife Ann, left Middelburg for Nelspruit in March last year, where they established the sex shop Cleopatra, and business has been good.

Cleopatra brings the number of sex shops in Nelspruit to three, and Mr Giles says business is booming.

They opened the shop in Nelspruit on behalf of eMalahleni Cleopatra owner, Ms Mandy Dougans, who also assisted the Giles couple to establish Isis in Middelburg.

“Things are going so well for us in Nelspruit, that we’re hosting an exotic dancing evening on 31 July.”

He said that they would also bring the exotic dancers to Middelburg for the grand reopening of Isis, if and when a suitable property is found.

Both a ladies and stag-night will be hosted, to entertain both sexes.

Before Isis was forced to close due to the shop being located on an industrial zoned premises, the shop enjoyed a lot of support from locals, Mr Giles says.

“We were very discreet and hidden away, the municipality however forced us out over zoning issues.”

According to the municipality, it is however not as easy as finding a shop and wham, bam thank you ma’m, we’re open for business.

The municipality however failed to supply the Observer with the guidelines to be followed by the Giles couple, before print.