Durban - A Facebook page using the name Blesserfinder, where women - mostly young - are matched with rich “benefactors”, has got people talking.
The page, categorised as a dating site, currently has nearly 11 000 members and its numbers increase daily.
There are also pages called Blesserfinder Mzansi and Blesserfinder Lesotho.
Administered anonymously, they are updated with offers from those who want to “bless” others and requests from those who want “blessings”.
The term “blessing” is generally associated with God and divine provision, but in this community it has a totally different definition, referring to luxurious perks and, often, sex.
The trend apparently started on social media, where unemployed women posted about their expensive lifestyles, claiming they had been “blessed”.
This led to social media users asking the girls who their “blessers” were.
The description of one of the pages reads: “A blesser is a new trend. Why suffer as if you are not beautiful enough to be blessed? Enjoy yourself, and don’t let people judge you.”
The page’s cover picture is of a plane and a Range Rover SUV. It gets updates frequently and the number of likes and comments is overwhelming.
“Blessers” send an inbox message to the pages. They then make an offer describing the kind of person they want. They explain the body features and age they want, and also how much payment is proposed for a month or a holiday.
The name and profile picture of the blesser are not revealed. The posts start with the words “Advert Alert”, then a screen grab of the description of what they want. Those interested in being “blessed” respond and are hooked up with the “blesser”.
Most of the “blessers” describe themselves as travellers, who go on domestic and international trips and need women to go with them. They buy expensive clothing and shoes for the women and they go to fancy restaurants.
Last week the Blesserfinder page posted that it was inclusive and was also open for same-sex hook-ups.
The Mercury tried speaking to the page administrator, but an automatic message read: “Thank you for you interest. We are currently experiencing higher than normal inbox volumes.”
The Mercury spoke to some female students who have used the page.
“I was introduced to the page by a friend who has been blessed with a trip to Cape Town. I am a bit scared to go away with a stranger and that is why I prefer being pampered with gifts and taken to high-class restaurants here in Durban,” Pinky Nkwanyana said.
Another student, who did not want to be named, said: “This thing has just been given the term ‘blesser’, but it has been happening for ages. I do not feel cheap or shameful, I am just enjoying my life.”
Twitter user @handful_K said: “Oh my goodness just looked up the page, shocking and sad…”
@jazzysalvador2 wrote: “Prostitution the oldest profession in the world. It keeps changing to fit the times. Prostitution is dynamic.”
The Mercury