Sex toys high on South African web searchesA special report, released by StatisticsBrain last year, indicated South Africans were third in the world for sex toy searches online. Following this, upmarket sex toy brand Désir commissioned a survey to find out more about the complex relationship South Africans seem to have with their sex toys. ©pasiphae via 123RF The country’s first dedicated sex toy industry survey reveals that over three-quarters (76.7%) of the respondents use sex toys and that the biggest reason for people not using them (23.3% of the sample) is because they are ignorant about the choice available and what sex toys can do for them, rather than being embarrassed or ashamed to use them. Double the amount of people buy their sex toys online (42.9%) rather than from a ‘brick and mortar’ store (20.7%) and the biggest reason people gave for buying sex toys was for spicing up their sex life (44.4%) or for introducing something new in their sex life (17.5%). Key findingsOther key findings from the survey include:
However, non-users of sex toys would prefer to buy a sex toy for use as a couple (64.4%) than for solo use and nearly a quarter of them (24.2%) admitted they didn’t have enough sex, with many of them saying the quality of their sexual relations could be improved (only 24.8% were really satisfied with their sex life). The vibrator still scores highest in terms of being favourite, most frequently bought and most used. Still shame around sexualityDésir's CEO, Brodie Meyer, says, “The non-user group responses confirmed many of the outdated biases and stigmas that challenge us here at Désir. People want to be able to buy sex toys safely, in non-judgemental environments, which are not associated with smut or porn. There is still so much shame around sexuality and sexual expression in South Africa and it needs to change. “We will continue to strive to combat negative sentiment by introducing more and more education and awareness about sexual health and in a bid to help free people from sexual prisons.” MethodologyThe Désir survey involved more than 700 respondents, and collected data on sex toy perceptions, usage and attitudes from both users and non-users. The survey was conducted via various platforms, including www.desir.co.za, Cosmopolitan SA and 2OceansVibe. To read the full report and the detailed infographic, click here. |