Many female entrepreneurs were asked for sexual favours in exchange for govt contracts, research finds

CAPE TOWN - A professor at Stellenbosch University has brought to light a trend of sexual corruption in South Africa.

Professor Sope Williams, from the university’s faculty of law, has presented research that shows many women business owners are being asked for sexual favours in exchange for securing government contracts.

Williams made her findings after being approached by a United States-based NGO to examine gender-responsive procurement in South Africa.

"I spoke to a number of women entrepreneurs and all of them told me that one of the problems they face in public procurement in trying to get these public contracts was that they were always asked to perform a sexual act."  

Williams said that after expanding her research, she made more disturbing findings.

"I found that in South Africa, women face sexual corruption when they're trying to access health services, when refugees are trying to access their permits, when in schools, young women are requested for sex when they want to get high marks or they want to pass in universities as well."

Williams also called on government to address South Africa's legal response to sexual corruption.