23 June 2010, 12:00 p.m.

In a very cheeky blog, bound to get FIFA officials hot under the cover, well-known Cape Town strip club, Mavericks, have asked why they can’t be the official one of the tournament.

“The Soccer Thing has an official beer, an official bank, an official fake Jeep, even an official tire. There is an official everything. But what about an official strip club? Nothing,” Mavericks wrote in the blog on their website.

 

If you can get an official tire…

 

“Cape Town nightlife and indeed South African nightlife is amongst the hottest on earth. Yet it has no official representation. Looking for official tires – no problem! But a little official lap dance? No no, the world’s soccer fans would never stand for such a thing… thank you very much … We can’t have the likes of Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo bussed off to some dodgy 2-bit strip bar in Woodstock! We have some of the most beautiful women on the planet here; if we’re going to show somebody off, let it be them, not some dodgy old teaser from the 80s. These (people) are going to be looking for quality lap dances from our most talented and beautiful lap dancers; they’ll know a hot naked woman when they see one. And let’s face it; they’re not flying all the way to Cape Town to buy a set of official Tires (Continental if you’re wondering). Ridiculous…

 

No thanks we’re watching soccer

 

South Africa’s sex workers however have concluded that tourists might not be all that interested in sex. They are disappointed with business so far, the Pretoria News reported.

 

Some strip clubs reported that business was brisk, but girls working on the streets said that they have failed to see an increase in business.

 

Just before the tournament started there were many reports that up to 40 000 sex workers were streaming to the country and even talk of legalizing the industry to maintain better control.

 

Police presence bad for business

 

An abundance of police officers on the streets and the sudden cold snap, however, seems to have prevented business from rising to the occasion.

Following an incident during the Confederations Cup where the Egyptian soccer team was robbed by alleged sex workers, hotels have tightened up their visitors’  policies and at least one sex worker reported to the media that she was barred entry from a Sandton hotel.

 

One sex worker, who has been on the streets for seven years, said the tourists were "boring", according to the Pretoria News. "We have not had any luck. I usually make R4 500 a month. I was hoping I would cash in R15 000. But it has been quiet," she reportedly said.

 

SA Sex Workers too expensive

 

Taxi drivers, however, told newspapers that tourists were finding South Africa’s street sex workers a bit expensive.

 

Sex Worker Education and Taskforce (SWEAT) advocacy program manager Viviane Lalu, told the Irish Times that the predicted “boom” in sex tourism has not materialized.

 

“From speaking with sex workers in Cape Town over the past 10 days, we are hearing the World Cup has not increased their business and, in some instances, the girls are saying there has been a drop in client numbers. I think this follows the same patterns we are seeing in the informal sector as a whole, where traders and others are not benefiting financially from this event. It appears the only ones [sex workers] doing any business are located near the World Cup stadia,” she told The Irish Times.