EXPLORING THE COMMERCIALISATION OF LOBOLA IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

Many South African customs are sometimes abused and excused to erode human dignity and reinforce corrupt tendencies. This demeaning behaviour often handicaps the social welfare of a society. In the South African context, the cultural practice of Lobola-a bride price paid to the bride’s family for her hand in marriage appears to be one of the most exploited praxes. Scholars such as Sekudu (2019); Chireshe and Chireshe (2010) and Chabata (2014) aver that the identity of Lobola has shifted from a token of appreciation to a commercial activity. Thus, this quantitative paper sought to unveil the exploitation of Lobola for a fiscal advance from the South African context. The paper is undergirded by explanatory design and has relied on ten sampled women using quota sampling.  Furthermore, the paper adopted the Lobola software calculator as an instrument for data collection and analytic technique whereas quantitative content analysis served as a method of data analysis. The study has found that the commercialisation of Lobola menaces African culture, deters social development, engenders reluctance to marry, and often fosters gender-based violence. This noted, the study has recommended the championing of the aboriginal purpose of Lobola in the modern day to re-essentialise it and eradicate the commercial undertones.