260513: Jade Zwane’s novel aDickted follows in the footsteps of 50 Shades of Grey. 260513: Jade Zwane’s novel aDickted follows in the footsteps of 50 Shades of Grey.
SHE’S young, sassy and making waves with her frank sex talk.
Meet Jade Zwane, the provocative author of what is touted as South Africa’s first erotic novel, aDickted, and the country’s answer to EL James of 50 Shades’ fame. The book is based on the sexual escapades of Crystal, an adventurous twenty-something in the city.
Zwane, 27, who refers to herself as a sex coach, tours the country giving talks promoting sexual health and education.
Last week she incurred the wrath of SABC executives when she spoke about masturbation live on MetroFM’s leading Touchdown drive time show – supposedly resulting in the hosts Thabo “T’bo Touch” Molefe, Refiloe Mpakanyane and Joe Mann being suspended for three days.
Shortly afterwards, Zwane tweeted: “I feel bad for Touch and the crew. I hope they get back on air soon. I appreciate their courage to have had me on the show.”
However, Metro FM spokesperson Happy Ngidi denied the trio had been suspended, saying they were off work while “internal processes” were ongoing.
But the velvety-voiced Zwane from White River, Mpumalanga, who is Shangaan, maintained in an interview with the Sunday Tribune that she’d said nothing that warranted such a response. “(The show) was not explicit or erotic. It was educational. I spoke about how parents need to spark the conversation of sex with their children. We need courageous people like them to allow not merely for frivolous entertainment, but an education as well on our airwaves.”
Zwane said the suspensions could be viewed as yet another example of how conservative South Africa remains and she said that too many people are still sexually repressed.
Zwane believes we have been conditioned to believe sex is sinful and a taboo subject.
Zwane describes herself as “a young woman who has a desire to teach and ignite a national conversation of sex in order to empower everyone who is sexually active or on the brink of it to make informed decisions”.
A late bloomer, she admits to losing her virginity at 23.
“I didn’t feel a need to rush into it,” she said. “It wasn’t something that was kept from me. I talked to my mom often about sex and I wanted to wait until I was comfortable enough with my changing body to share it with someone else. I waited to share my body with someone who respected it and me.”
Her racy blog, the curiously named and self-published book and her countrywide talks have, unsurprisingly, led to much criticism. Even her own aunt accused her of bringing shame on the family. “I don’t let it bother me. I know who I am and what I’m about.”
The daughter of a doctor and a “home executive”, Zwane first studied logistics management, but later ventured into the world of sex coaching, studying in San Francisco.
Zwane then toured the country, discussing anything from sexual liberation to masturbation and relationships in talks known as “Turn Ons”.
“I want to start the conversation of sex,” she said. “I want to discuss issues that are relevant to the audience. I want to empower them with an education to have the sex they want to be having.
“We need to engage children in the conversation so as to empower them with knowledge to make the best decisions for them; to tell them about the dangers and consequences of sexually transmitted infections, and how to protect themselves against disease and unwanted pregnancies. We can’t pretend sex is not happening when 10-year-olds are mothering children.”
Zwane’s book is mainly fictional. “But some of it is based on my fantasies, friends’ stories and a very few of my own experiences, but not in the same context,” she said.
Zwane said she had faced an uphill battle getting the book out. “I was rejected by more than five publishers, all telling me there was no market for my material.” As a result, she decided to publish herself, which limited its distribution.
She thinks South Africans need to be more open about sex. “We can’t shy away from discussing sex. Many marriages break up because of sex or the lack of it. We have an alarmingly high rate of HIV/Aids deaths in the country, as well as rampant sex crimes against women. My book allows for safe sexual exploration through reading.
“I feel being silent about sex fuels the high levels of sexual violence.”
• The book will be in stores at the end of next month.