“Wooo, Haibo Basadi, It Works!”: Woman Chuffed With R19 Temu Tablet

• A woman shared a viral TikTok video unwrapping a surprisingly functional tablet she purchased for only R19 from online retailer Temu, much to the delight of her excited friends
• The joyful unboxing showed the woman removing a sticker screen protector and turning on the device, as everyone around her erupted in cheers when they saw the tablet worked
• While some viewers celebrated the bargain, others raised concerns about potential quality issues and security risks associated with extremely low-cost electronics

A woman's excitement over her incredibly cheap online purchase has captured the attention of South Africans after she shared a video showing her unboxing a tablet she bought for only R19 from Chinese retailer Temu.

Content creator @lucyluu458, who regularly posts personal and shopping content, recorded the moment she unwrapped her bargain tablet. In the video, friends around her shout "wooo" in amazement as she removes the device from its packaging. When she peels off the sticker serving as a screen protector, everyone exclaims again in disbelief. The excitement peaks when she turns on the tablet and the screen lights up with the logo, confirming it's a working device that costs less than a fast-food meal.

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Watch the TikTok clip below.

Ultra-budget electronics

Temu has rapidly gained popularity in South Africa for offering products at seemingly impossible prices, with electronics that would typically cost hundreds or thousands of rands available for a fraction of the cost. The online marketplace connects shoppers directly with manufacturers, cutting out middlemen and allowing for dramatically reduced prices.

However, recent developments might affect how much South Africans pay for these ultra-cheap goods. The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has been implementing changes to import taxes that could impact prices on platforms like Temu and Shein. Previously, these retailers benefited from a special SARS concession for imports below R500, which allowed logistics companies to pay a flat duty rate of 20% with no VAT.

As of September 2024, SARS began levying 15% VAT in addition to the 20% flat duty on all imports with values under R500. Despite these changes, bargains like the R19 tablet show that some products remain extraordinarily affordable even with the tax adjustments.

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Mzansi reacts to the R19 tablet

South Africans had mixed reactions to the budget tablet, with some celebrating the bargain while others pointed out potential limitations:

@Reese_vfex joked about the likely specifications:

"0.50 ram 2gb storage 8fz worse than LCD screen 0.01 mp main camera but for R20 it's a good deal😂"

@Motso_S🇿🇦 was impressed by the genuine excitement:

"Best unboxing I've seen ❤️❤️❤️"

@Makabaza enjoyed the friends' reactions:

"Those reactions are priceless 😂 Love it!"

@Nhlanhla warned about potential security concerns:

"Just insert your sim card and start losing all your important details then you'll know why they tricked you into buying for R19."

@Chocolate shawdy inquired about additional costs:

"How much was your customs?"

@lucyluu❤️ replied:

"360r."

@SOULKING predicted performance issues:

"😂Subway surfer it's gonna lag on that thing."

@nessahbbaby found the reactions entertaining:

"It's the wuuuuuuuuuhhh wuuuuuuuuuuuuh hehehehehehe eh eh for me 😂😂😂"

More online shopping stories

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• Briefly News recently reported on a woman whose friend's Temu lounge chair purchase went hilariously wrong, causing laughter across social media.
• A disappointed shopper took to TikTok to show off her 40-inch wig from Shein that looked nothing like what she ordered, leaving her feeling ready to go to China to complain in person.
• Mzansi was amazed when a South African woman shared her unbelievable R28 furniture set from an online retailer that looked drastically different from what she expected.

Source: Briefly News