Portly and beaming in a leopardskin loincloth, King Mswati III of Swaziland basked in the adoration of 50,000 topless virgins who paraded before him, vying to become his new queen.

Legions of half-naked teenage girls danced, twirled and pounded the earth outside the royal kraal on Monday, proclaiming their willingness to become the next bride of the last absolute monarch in sub-Saharan Africa. He already has 12 wives and a fiancee.

This annual Umhlanga, or Reed Dance, is the highlight of Swaziland’s traditional calendar. Every chief in the country of a million people sends a group of teenage virgins to the royal kraal in Ludzidzini. Every year the ceremony expands. Monday’s occasion attracted more than twice as many girls as last year.

Yet in a country where 42.6 per cent of the adult population is infected with HIV or AIDS – the highest rate in the world – critics say Mswati sets a bad example.

Last year, the 37-year-old monarch chose 16-year-old Miss Teen Swaziland, Nothando Dube. His eldest daughter, Princess Sikhanyiso, is 17.

The king will study a video of the festivities before choosing a fiancee. She will become a fully fledged queen when impregnated.

It is good to be the king, huh?