Across Africa’s major cities, a quiet transformation is underway in the continent’s sex trade. What was once an industry operating in physical shadows has migrated to digital platforms, fueled by smartphone penetration, mobile money, and discreet subscription services.
From Lagos to Johannesburg, young women and some men are leveraging platforms like OnlyFans, Telegram, and WhatsApp to monetize intimacy with unprecedented autonomy.
The scale of this shift is difficult to ignore. A 2024 report by MO Africa Consulting estimates that men in Lagos spent ₦661 billion (approximately $530 million) on transactional sex and related services in a single year. Nearly half of this sum went directly to sex workers, while the remainder covered ancillary costs such as hotels, gifts, and entertainment. This figure rivals half of Lagos State’s internally generated revenue for 2023, underscoring the economic weight of an industry that operates largely in the shadows.
Digital platforms have become key enablers of this underground market. In South Africa, some content creators report earnings as high as R70,000 ($3,800) daily from selling erotic media. Nigerian creators on OnlyFans typically earn between $200 and $2,500 monthly, with top performers commanding even higher sums. Payments often bypass traditional banking systems, relying instead on mobile money, cryptocurrency, and offshore processors to circumvent social stigma and legal restrictions.
Social media plays a pivotal role in driving demand. Creators use TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to post suggestive content, redirecting followers to paid subscriptions on platforms like OnlyFans or homegrown alternatives. WhatsApp and Telegram have also emerged as critical tools, offering features like auto-deleting messages and secret chats that appeal to both workers and clients.
Local platforms are stepping in to fill gaps left by global services. AllAccessFans, a Nigerian subscription-based site, reportedly disbursed over ₦1.2 billion to creators in its first year and has secured investment from venture capital firms, including Velocity Digital. These platforms cater specifically to African users, addressing payment barriers and cultural sensitivities that international services often overlook.
The rise of digital sex work is driven by a confluence of factors. Economic hardship pushes many into the trade, with 70% of Lagos sex workers citing financial strain as their primary motivation. Urbanization has also played a role, as high-density, male-dominated cities foster demand for discreet transactional relationships. Meanwhile, social media trends such as TikTok’s suggestive dance challenges have subtly normalized the monetization of intimacy, acting as a gateway to more explicit paid content.
Yet the industry remains fraught with risks. Most African governments criminalize sex work, leaving workers vulnerable to exploitation, cybercrime, and health hazards without legal protections. In Lagos, where the market generates billions, the sector operates untaxed and unregulated, with authorities intermittently cracking down under moral or political pressure. Efforts to decriminalize the trade face stiff opposition in conservative societies, where religious and cultural norms heavily influence policy.
The digital shift has nonetheless granted some workers a measure of financial independence. Beyond selling content, many reinvest earnings into side businesses, from skincare lines to real estate, creating a ripple effect in the informal economy. Still, the broader implications remain unresolved. As the market grows, policymakers may soon confront an unavoidable question: whether to suppress, regulate, or tacitly ignore an industry that shows no signs of fading.
The digital sex economy’s expansion mirrors global trends in gig work, where technology blurs the lines between informal labor and entrepreneurship. Yet Africa’s unique challenges youth unemployment, currency instability, and entrenched gender disparities add layers of complexity. While moral debates persist, the economic realities may eventually force a more pragmatic discussion about worker safety, financial inclusion, and the evolving nature of labor in the digital age. The market’s resilience suggests it is here to stay, whether society is ready to acknowledge it or not.
