Why Are So Many Cam Models From Colombia?

Head to Chaturbate and where are most of the models from? 

Colombia. 

Go to another popular cam site and where are the majority from? 

That's right; Colombia. 

Sure, there are bound to be a few exceptions, but the massive market for camgirls/guys in this South American country is an industry-wide phenomenon.

Our recent cam model nationality analysis showed that up to 43.75% of performers are from Colombia.

The natural question to ask is... why?

How did Colombia become the camming capital of the world?

COVID-19: Turning Colombia's Hotels into Camming Studios

According to an article from the New York Post, the Gateway to South America is home to approximately 60,000 cam models, representing the boom in numbers during the 2020 coronavirus. Jose Dominguez, co-owner of JuanBustos Studios in Colombia, says this is around 30% of the market share!

But despite popular perception, this increase had nothing to do with lockdown boredom and everything to do with hotel owners — they transformed their buildings into camming studios for adult entertainers to keep afloat. Hotel Poblado Boutique Medellin was the first to make the switch.

This former 40-room hotel underwent a $200,000 transformation, including redecorating and technology investments. The change of use helped to keep the hotel in business, and it wasn't long before Hotel Poblado Natura, In House, and others took the (unusual) leap. 

Even the popular CamSoda got involved, converting one of the country's many vacant warehouses into a camming hub.

The craze caught on, and soon models of all genders were attracted to the job, signing with studios like JuanBustos (which now has over 4,000 camgirls under its belt) and working from the refashioned hotels/warehouses.

So, is this the only reason for the sky-high Colombian cammer numbers? 

Nope, but it certainly helped.

Money Is the Main Driving Factor

While we'd like to think that all cam models thoroughly enjoy their job, money is often the main motivator behind picking up the camera before dropping the clothes. This applies to cammers worldwide but is especially pertinent when looking at developing countries.

A Redditor on the r/asklatinamerica forum named Hazi-Tazi believes Colombia's camming population comes down to the country's minimum wage:

"The minimum wage in Colombia equates to about $10 USD per day. Working as a camgirl/camboy can earn you significantly more than that."

While the minimum wage has risen since this comment (to $17 per day or $340 per month), the reasoning remains relevant — cammers earn considerably more. Wendy Lozano, a webcammer known to her clients as Black Rose, divulged to El Pais that, during her best months, she earns ten million pesos ($2,500). Some even bring in a whopping $10,000 per month!

And unlike other businesses, you don't need much capital to get started. If you go to a studio that's already set up with the cameras and nice decor, you can become a cam model with $0. 

Couple that with the fact that there aren't many job opportunities in the country, and it's no wonder attractive Colombians are drawn to the webcam modeling world.

The Ugly Side of Colombia's Live Cams Industry

Clearly, there's big money in Colombia's camming market. But the models aren't as wealthy as you think (or perhaps like to believe).

Lozano's current studio is registered with the mayor's office, doesn't accept minors as workers or clients, properly outlines contracts, and pays all necessary taxes, while giving a fair rate to all its models and acknowledging that many women enter the sex industry in a vulnerable state. 

However, such studios are incredibly hard to find — the country is rife with illegal, underground studios that promise the world and constantly fail to deliver.

Cow, a member of the forum site Restera, shares some hard truths about this decidedly ugly side of Colombian camming:

"There are sex work cam studios in Colombia that pimp out young women who cannot get employment anywhere else. There are even westerners who go over to Colombia to open said studios and exploit women. Those cam studios take 50% of the revenue. The performers often cannot afford their own computer to stream themselves."

If this were the only comment from an otherwise-anonymous user, you'd think twice about believing it. But unfortunately, it's backed up by plenty of others, including Bulletzen, a member with friends in the industry:

"It's an ugly business. They are paid peanuts for the work they do. A lot of it is a front for money laundering, with models having to change their bank accounts every three months."

Thankfully, there are new Colombian laws in place that giving webcam models labor rights. 

However, it's still a complex topic, and it'll be a long time before every nefarious studio comes out of the woodwork. But luckily there are legitimate studios leading the charge to beautify the legal/monetary side of things for their models.

It Isn't Just About Cash

We've talked a lot about money, but that doesn't mean it's the only reason for the swathe of cam models from this region. 

Technology, culture, influence, and even education play a part in the seemingly ever-growing Colombian camming population.

Technology

Throughout the last ten years, access to affordable technology has become much more widespread across the country. Many people believe this had encouraged the growth of the camming industry. Men and women who wouldn't typically be able to afford such products, now can, giving them a somewhat-quick way to boost their income.

Not only can more individuals acquire cameras and laptops, but so can wannabe studio owners. Those with capital can purchase more cameras for fewer pesos. Win-win.

Although, in the interest of well-roundedness, we can't ignore this technological factor mentioned by a Quora cam expert:

"The rise of remote work and digital entrepreneurship has normalized working from home, making it more acceptable for people to engage in webcam modeling as a legitimate form of telecommuting."

Culture

Cultural acceptance is a massive factor. 

Unlike many populations, those in Colombia are increasingly accepting sex work and adult entertainment as legitimate forms of employment. Thus, the once-stigmatized job is seeing more and more people join its ranks.

But acceptance only takes them so far — it seems the support from others in the adult performer network keeps everyone going, as bolstered by the same commenter:

"Many Colombian performers support, teach each other, and share information about the industry, creating a sense of community. This network effect helps new performers get started and succeed."

Makes sense. We're social creatures, after all.

Popularity

"Colombians are hot." 

You can thank Resetera member z e r t for that insightful tidbit. 

We get a pretty good feel for what the live cam crowd enjoys here on CamsRank. The consensus is that these cam girls know how to over-deliver. Hazi-Tazi backs this up:

"Colombians seem to be more attractive/more well-endowed per capita than other countries. Even if you aren't hot, Rule 34 of the internet exists, and people pay well for kinks."

We can use cam aggregator sites to see how this translates to real world coverage:

There isn't a country in the world that comes close to the huge number of performers found in Colombia.

This supply simply would not exist without insatiable demand from paying customers...

Education

As we've already established, there are some legitimate, good-willed studios in Colombia. But what we refrained from mentioning (until now) is that these operations take education seriously.

Owners and staff alike do more than simply provide camming spaces. Kris Segal gives us the lowdown:

"These studios select, hire, and train attractive individuals to become cam models. It's like a behind-the-scenes support system, offering logistics, equipment, and technical support so performers can focus on their shows. One fascinating aspect is how these studios work in the background, helping those who might not speak English. They play a crucial role in translating and making it possible for Colombian cammers to connect with an international audience."

While many Colombians have a basic understanding of English already, this extra tuition and overall support no doubt contributes to their success with the worldwide audience on our top-ranked platforms.

Influence

Last but not least we have media influence. The global reach of adult entertainment content has urged Colombians to explore camming opportunities to not only gain financial independence, but also improve their quality of life. 

And for those who aren't trapped in less-than-responsible studios, it seems to be giving them exactly that.

The Appeal For Colombian Models

There isn't a one-size-fits-all reason for the huge number of Colombian cammers, but it's evident that money is the major factor, closely followed by technology, popularity, and education. 

Ultimately, every model (whether from Colombia or not) will have personal reasons for joining the space, and whatever they are, their fans are just happy they decided to give it a shot.

Are you a model from Colombia? Do you have experience with the many studios based in Bogotá and beyond?

Let us know your perspectives below!

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