/ 10 March 1995

Editor who reveals all of herself

She is 20, and she’s the editor and chief pinup of a porn magazine that’s taking South Africa by storm. Anouk Mommer reports

‘Hi, I’m Satinder and … I will be editing all letters sent in by you, the South African reader. Please don’t hesitate to write to me to ask me about whatever’s on your mind … Also, don’t forget to write and tell me about your fabulous and naughty experiences. I find these letters very stimulating and can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to down here in South Africa. So hurry and write to me now!”

Porn star Satinder Kalair, just 20 and local editor of the British-based soft porn magazine Asian Babes, jetted into Johannesburg this week, flushed with the success of the magazine’s launch in South Africa.

On the shelves since mid-February, Asian Babes has virtually sold out its 65 000 print run. In the United Kingdom the bi-monthly claims a million sales per

Asian Babes is a porn feast of photographs — including raunchy pics of the editor — and stories. Highlight of the magazine is Satinder’s hot agony column in which she replies to the most daring of her fan club letters.

How does the editor feel about revealing all? “I don’t have a hang up about it. I don’t care what people think. I like my body, otherwise I wouldn’t have been in this business,” she explains.

But what she likes most is the money. Satinder has no intention of doing this for the rest of her life — her body won’t allow her anyway, she adds, but for the time being she enjoys being an Asian Babe.

Why Asian Babes and not Scandinavian Babes? Explains Jeff Zerbst of Hustler fame, one of the editors of the local edition of Asian Babes: “A lot of people regard oriental women as sexually educated. In the oriental countries you find sexuality in philosophy and religion. The best example is the Kama Sutra.”

The first South African issue features only women from overseas but Zerbst hopes to get more local women for the future issues. “They don’t have to be professional, the only criteria is that they have an Asian look.”

Zerbst hopes that Asian Babes reaches as many people as possible, but thinks it will mainly be for the Asian community. “It is the most appealing for them,” Zerbst says. “They are the people who enjoy the erotic tradition.”

Satinder is here to participate in a TV show. A local TV station has invited her to take part in a debate about the magazine with people who are against it.