JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — A new porn landscape is emerging in Africa that could be the next big opportunity for adult producers.
According to Sabotage Times, a small but growing group of independent producers is paving the way for new films and talent.
Responding to a lack of homegrown porn from online communities, the region’s first big porn title, “Mapona Vol: 1” was released in Johannesburg in 2010.
The hour-long title from studio Sondeza, according to co-producer Tau Morena, took two years to produce with help from local crowd sourcing and sold out in Johannesburg licensed adult stores within two weeks.
But the movie’s success was quickly met with pirated copies at a fraction of the price — a caveat for would-be producers seeking to break the new market.
Despite the potential obstacles, the domestic porn industry is on the verge of exploding. So far, local studios have created only 200 titles — virgin territory for adventurous producers.
And there’s plenty of talent. The Sondeza studio received more than 1,000 applications to star in the latest edition, with applicants from South Africa, Nigeria, Cameroon and Morocco, who see a career in porn as their ticket out of poverty.
Although porn doesn’t pay as well as prostitution, talent doesn’t run the risk of STDs as testing procedures are mandatory, the films require condoms and there are no cum shots.
Morena said the films are being produced to both encourage viewers to engage in safe sex, and also to change attitudes towards sex as something dirty or dangerous.
“There are a lot of taboos about porn and people think that there is something abnormal about it, but the fact is that thousands of people buy porn and it’s an honest day’s work for most of us,” porn star Leila Lopes, said.
