A 2025 Presidency-commissioned study found 15% of South Africans reported personal experiences of sexual corruption.
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Public Protector Advocate Kholeka Gcaleka is demanding that South Africa treat sextortion as a corruption offence, arguing the law already covers it but prosecutors are not charging it.
Speaking at the second University of Stellenbosch Symposium on Gender Inequality and Anti-Corruption in Bellville, Gcaleka said the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act does not require a gratification to have monetary value.
“South Africa’s anti-corruption statute does not require a gratification to have a monetary value, meaning sexual corruption is arguably already corruption under existing law,” she said.
“What is missing is not the offence but the charge, the prosecution, the record and the count,” Gcaleka told the audience, adding that the gap is enforcement, not legislation.
Reporting channels must bypass perpetrators’ offices
Gcaleka proposed that reporting channels for sexual extortion should exclude the offices of the alleged perpetrators to reduce interference and protect complainants.
Her call comes as research shows sextortion is widespread and gendered.
A 2025 Presidency-commissioned study found 15% of South Africans reported personal experiences of sexual corruption, with women (19%) and young adults aged 18-29 (17%) disproportionately affected.
The same study recorded experiences of officials demanding sex in exchange for services or benefits, confirming the pattern of power-based exploitation.
Survivors describe trauma, stigma and health harms
Qualitative work on sextortion in South Africa highlights severe consequences.
A 2022 study on African migrants found irregular female migrants are most vulnerable to sextortion during their journeys and after arrival, with survivors reporting trauma, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies, and stigmatisation.
“These consequences have both short- and long-term consequences and will continue to exist without adjusted policy frameworks, improved support systems for survivors, and a broader discussion on gender norms,” the authors wrote.
Social norms research also shows sextortion is perceived as a major problem, with many adults saying they have heard of public sector sextortion happening to people in their networks
Men too
An investigation by The Citizen showed that even with endless public warnings and a long trail of previous victims, sextortion scams continue to trap and blackmail many people, with men being particularly vulnerable.
Private investigator Brad Nathanson warned that these scams bleed victims dry of thousands to hundreds of thousands of rands, leaving some in severe financial distress or total ruin.
Nathanson explained that brothel visitors are targeted shortly after their visit under the guise of outstanding fees such as failed card payments or sudden price hikes.
Blackmailers use corrupt law enforcement contacts to trace license plates, uncovering the victim’s identity, address, and personal details.
They then leverage this information to threaten exposure to family and employers.
The extortion can be devastating; one prominent businessman paid R650 000 in R50 000 installments to hide his actions from his wife before finally seeking help.
Needing just a WhatsApp or social media app, Nathanson said these criminals run a numbers game, targeting mass audiences and relying on just a few responses to profit.
