Since the viral spread in mid-January 2026 of an intimate video involving 20-year-old South African Lerato Molwelang, social media has become the stage for a heated and deeply polarizing debate. What the young woman herself described as a scam during a fake modelling audition has quickly escalated into an ideological clash, with thousands of comments intertwining issues of sexual exploitation, consent, racism, personal responsibility, and economic inequality. Here is an overview of the main reactions observed online.
Voices That Downplay the Man’s Responsibility and Blame Women
A significant portion of comments adopt a cynical, often misogynistic tone, rejecting any blame on the white man featured in the video. Some users claim that “this man didn’t force anyone” and that “Black women love white men,” even going so far as to say they “would sleep with a homeless white man just because he’s white.” Others write that “Black women chase white men like moths to a flame” and that “no force is needed—the desire blinds them.”
These reactions, frequently laced with racial stereotypes, portray the man as operating in “easy mode” on the “sexual market” simply because of his skin colour. They shift responsibility entirely onto women, declaring “the problem is women” or calling for an end to “hypocrisy.”
Comments Framing It as an “African Casting Couch”
Another dominant strand compares the situation to the classic Hollywood “casting couch,” but relocated to an African context. Many users insist that Lerato “knew exactly what she was doing” and likely “signed away her rights.” One summarises: “It’s an old concept—the casting couch—but applied to a new audience: Africa. It already happened in Thailand, the Philippines, Florida, and Los Angeles.”
Some go further, dismissing the video itself (“it wasn’t worth watching for nine minutes”) while concluding that “not all money is worth taking.” These responses tend to normalise the practice, presenting it as a conscious, lucrative choice despite the risks.
Strong Condemnations of Exploitation
On the opposite side, many voices vehemently denounce the man involved. Comments include statements like: “This man is an absolutely vile person. He deserves prison. Targeting young girls with promises of modelling contracts and then sexually exploiting them is an act of utter perversion.” Some even criticise the sharing of his unblurred photo: “This bastard deserves prison… for that.”
Nuanced Takes on Consent and Inequality
Between the extremes, more measured comments attempt to add depth to the discussion. One notes that “Lerato was not physically coerced, but that doesn’t mean the situation was safe,” highlighting subtle pressures (power, money, promises of fame) that can blur the lines of consent. Another suggests refocusing the debate: “The conversation should be about how to empower young women so they don’t have to resort to this. This man broke no law. He is simply a moral outcast. He exploits economic vulnerabilities to manipulate the most vulnerable—not just for his own pleasure, but for an audience that enjoys it.”
These interventions acknowledge the absence of physical violence while pointing to structural mechanisms of exploitation tied to poverty and power imbalances.
A Polarisation That Reveals Deeper Fractures
Beyond the individual case, the Lerato Molwelang affair exposes deeper tensions: anti-Black racism, misogyny, colonial legacies in sexual imaginaries, and economic hardships that push some young women into risky situations. Social media, by amplifying the most extreme reactions, shows how complex and divisive the issue of consent remains—especially when it intersects with questions of race and gender.
As Lerato Molwelang has publicly denounced a scam and threatened legal action, the online debate continues to rage, often reflecting the commenters’ own prejudices more than the facts themselves.
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