Zodwa Wabantu is answerable to no one. In fact, she welcomes dating controversy. But last week her fans were left confused when she posted a lengthy Instagram post on why she chose to date younger men.
Wabantu has a penchant for dating what she calls "Ben 10s". Her list includes Ntobeko Linda, who was 24 when they split in June - a month before they were supposed to get married. Her current "Ben 10" is Vusi Buthelezi.
In a video captioned: "Me Explaining Sh*t Ben10", she said "They are young, adventurous, outgoing, ambitious, they have their dreams ahead of them."
At age 34, Zodwa isn't exactly a cougar, and yet fans and detractors continue to question her dating habits, hence the need for her to defend herself.
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A post shared by zodwalibram(@zodwalibram) on Oct 11, 2019 at 4:00am PDT
But here's the thing. Wabantu could be on the right path when it comes to relationship happiness. Because, according to a study, women who are married to younger men are happier than the rest of us.
Research by the University of Colorado published online in the Journal of Population Economics confirmed men and women report greater marital satisfaction with younger spouses, adding the satisfaction fades over time in marriages with a significant age gap between partners.
Professor Terra McKinnish from the University of Colorado told news agency IANS: “Women are particularly dissatisfied when they’re married to older husbands and particularly satisfied if they’re married to younger husbands.”
Pretoria-based sexologist and relationship expert Dr Elmari Mulder Craig has another theory. “For starters they’re [women] more emotionally stable and know what they want," she said.
She also points out that older women are usually more comfortable with their bodies, more sure of themselves and know their bodies better.
“Older women are also able to communicate their needs and desires better to their partners. They are generally also more comfortable with initiating or taking an active role in bed because they are more at ease,” she added.