This article explores the regulation of sex work in South Africa and follows the trajectory of the South African Law Reform Commission (SALRC) in investigating whether sex work should be decriminalized. The legal regulation of sex work is a hotly contested topic. South Africa currently criminalizes the selling and buying of sex, but policy reform has been on the cards since the SALRC launched its project on the topic in the early 2000s. As most sex work policy responses are grounded in feminist theory, the article analyses the main theoretical ideologies and questions the influence of these ideologies in structuring sex work law reform in the South African context. The author calls for a more inclusive understanding of feminism and sex work, and the need to acknowledge the importance of rights discourse in furthering political growth and protecting sex workers’ constitutional rights.

本文探讨了南非对性工作的监管，并遵循南非法律改革委员会 (SALRC) 在调查性工作是否应该合法化方面的轨迹。对性工作的法律规制是一个激烈争论的话题。南非目前将买卖性行为定为刑事犯罪，但自 SALRC 在 2000 年代初启动有关该主题的项目以来，政策改革一直在酝酿之中。由于大多数性工作政策反应都以女权主义理论为基础，本文分析了主要的理论意识形态，并质疑这些意识形态对南非背景下性工作法律改革结构的影响。作者呼吁对女权主义和性工作有更包容的理解，