A different sort of app accustomed assess lobola has had Southern area Africa by violent storm, with quite a few female (and you will dudes) utilizing it to ascertain how much they are really worth
Software creator Robert Matseneng has generated a great Lobola Calculator – an app which enables men and women to size just how many cattle it can be worth.
Lobola, or magadi as it’s titled in my own community, is actually a longstanding traditions where one pays a particular rate to have an excellent female’s hand in matrimony. Before, the purchase price would-be paid in the form of cows, but these months money is an even more simple means to fix shell out lobola.
Out-of curiosity, I installed the fresh new app observe what which barometer used to measure a women’s worthy of for the area was about.
But in reality, this would be a ridiculous sum of money to inquire about to own
On top of other things, new app examines an effective single lady american woman’s top, lbs and how attractive she’s (anywhere between “very sizzling hot” to help you “not really”), attributes I believe have nothing related to how much lobola men is to spend. Used, questions regarding their particular knowledge in addition to level of youngsters she has would also be studied under consideration by family inside immediately after negotiations have begun.
According to app, just after factoring each one of these during the, my loved ones you’ll require lobola off R74,500 for me – the same as 9 actual cattle. My father would-be thus happy.
A prospective suitor was within the exact same years when i in the morning and you may wouldn’t be capable afford you to form of cash. The newest cost regarding lobola, and you may planning for lifetime following the relationships, is actually the one thing many families to take into consideration prior to purchasing a cost.
Matseneng should get kudos in order to have the brand new app query pages to suggest whether or not they try female and male. This shows your software isn’t especially directed at women. That being said, we can’t overlook the proven fact that so it software is aimed at feminine more it is in the men.
An effective Nigerian same in principle as the fresh lobola application, Fiance Price, premiered just last year. Bride-to-be Rates spends an even more specific barometer from inside the figuring a beneficial woman’s worth; it considers their unique cooking overall performance, skin, whether she’s tattoos, and if or not she’s “prayer warrior” otherwise “bar girl”.
I have arrived at remember that lobola is not throughout the to get a lady, but instead in the integrating family before the event – inside my society, conference the target bridegroom and his awesome mothers usually merely goes just after talks of lobola have taken put (otherwise when one or two falls expecting beyond wedding). Getting Mandla otherwise Tshepo home for a week-end is highly frowned upon during my household members, because it’s in several other black family members.
Although there are noble, cultural aspects of lobola many individuals still want to keep onto, one cannot refute new patriarchal nature of your behavior – a great woman’s really worth is considered to decrease according to amount away from pupils she’s and you can, in some instances, if she is an effective virgin or not. So it criterion is never put on men.
Discover a tip off humour to help you software such as (Matseneng states that “truly it was every a tale”) however,, given that attitudes regarding morality and you can respectability are often used to police ladies actions, it is extremely worrisome.
That will your investment swimming teacher, Tim Osrin, which beat-up a women who are walking down the trail, upcoming rationalized their strategies of the saying he imagine she is a good sex employee (to the implication you to sex workers receive and you will are entitled to violence), or even the dudes exactly who stripped and you can beat an early on lady during the good Johannesburg cab rating simply because she dared to put on good mini dress.