She claims she has slept with 25, men in her lifetime, which is a few thousand people short of Wanderers Stadium at full capacity. The most men she has had sex with in one day, she says, is I don't share it with anyone else," Susan says. I come here to be with my wife. Tony and Susan are old hands in the swinging scene: they have been at it for 20 years.
Nowadays the place is Club Rome, and here you can't just swan dive into the orgy room. Even when you are invited to bang your brains out, rules still apply. You also can't chat up a woman and there is an indemnity form to sign at the door. Established in as Marquee, Club Rome is the oldest swingers' club in Johannesburg. Gatherings usually happen on Saturday nights. An invitation requires passing an online screening process. Only then are you allowed in to the establishment that sits discreetly off a dirt road in Kya Sand, northern Johannesburg.
For newbies, there is an induction tour. They are shown the warm-water pool and the warren of rooms where sex happens. Then there are the rules. But you can only join in if you are invited," explains a staff member. The rules are different in the Orgy Room and Dark Room. Here, there are only two rules - you can say no to anal, and no to someone who is not wearing a condom," says the staff member. If you feel uncomfortable, you can leave the room.
By 8pm, patrons are mingling at the bar. A good night at Rome draws people - including judges, pilots and big-shot businessmen. Most patrons' friends, bosses and family don't know about this part of their lives. Not everyone is here for sex.
There are the voyeurs, who will come just to watch. At Rome, as with most other swingers' clubs, it's the women who make the moves: men are not allowed to initiate a hook-up. Members point out that women are safe here. Over and over husbands say they can leave their wives at the bar, knowing they won't be hit on or have their drinks spiked.
