A church in South Africa has carried out a virginity test on unmarried female members and gave a certificate of virginity to each female who passed.

The test is said to be an effort to encourage chastity among the ladies in society.

The church identified as Nazareth Baptist Church is located at Ebuhleni, northern part of Durban in South Africa.

It was gathered that the church carried out a free virginity test on ladies who attend their church and are 18 years and above.

It is an annual event carried out by the church, and at the end of the exercise, a Certificate of Virginity is awarded to the successful ones.

Also, a white mark of purity is placed on the forehead of the virgins.

The test is usually conducted in the middle of every year and the certificate issued becomes invalid by the middle of the following year when the next virginity test is conducted by the church.

The test for the 2022/2023 session was conducted this week and certificates were issued to the successful ladies.

The certificate was signed by the Leader of Nazareth Baptist Church and the specialist who carried out the test.

Photos shared online show the virgins smiling while posing with their certificates.