Male Sex Workers as Situational Entrepreneurs: Exploring the Demographics, Motivations, and Practices of Male Sex Workers in the Tourism Industry in Botswana

Abstract

While sex tourism has been well studied in international contexts, to date, only a few studies have focused on African countries. For Botswana and other African countries, the lack of studies in sex work is surprising, given its prevalence in such societies. In the African context, sex work and tourism are very complex, controversial, and entangled with politics and religious disapproval. Moreover, the few existing studies have mostly focused on female sex workers, hence creating a gap in the literature when it comes to understanding male sex work. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher used in-depth face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with 20 male sex workers in Botswana to explore the motivations, dynamics of entry, and sex work practices in Botswana. This article argues that male sex workers in Botswana could be viewed as situational entrepreneurs seeking economic opportunities beyond legitimised ways. A study that explores the dynamics of male sex work is critical in Botswana, first to determine similarities with other contexts and second, to inform policy on the needs of male sex workers in Botswana.