“Because of China I Bought Three Rolex Watches!”: SA Man Hyped by Affordable “Rolexes” From China

• A Cape Town man has gone viral on TikTok after showing off three "Rolex" watches he bought at Chinatown for just R79
• The video, posted by @devdondidit, features the man lip-syncing to a Chinese song while proudly displaying his bargain watches
• The clip comes during growing tensions between the US and China, with many South Africans celebrating access to affordable knock-offs of luxury brands

A South African man has left Mzansi in stitches after posting a TikTok video celebrating his purchase of three "Rolex" watches from Chinatown for just R79. TikTok user @devdondidit from Cape Town shared the hilarious clip where he lip-syncs to a Chinese song while proudly showing off his new watches on both wrists.

Watch the TikTok clip below.

Cheap luxury amid trade wars

The video, posted on 15 April, comes during heightened trade tensions between China and the US. In the clip, the excited man declares:

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"Because of China, I bought me three Rolex watches at Chinatown for 79 rand."

His excitement mirrors a trend that's been growing online as Chinese manufacturers take to social media to reveal the actual production costs of luxury goods that are later sold at premium prices in Western markets due to brand markups.

The ongoing trade dispute between China and the US has intensified in recent weeks, with President Donald Trump increasing import taxes on Chinese goods to 145 percent. In response, China has raised its tariffs on US goods to 125 percent, saying it would "fight to the end" in this economic battle.

While Trump has announced temporary exemptions for smartphones, solar panels and other electronic products from his "reciprocal" tariffs, many US companies that rely on Chinese manufacturing, especially in the textile and technology sectors, are feeling the pressure.

This trade war is leading to surprising consequences, with some Chinese manufacturers now selling directly to global consumers without Western brand labels attached. This allows shoppers to get similar quality products at much lower prices, as the South African TikToker joyfully showed with his "Rolex" purchases.

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What Mzansi thinks

South Africans had plenty to say about the affordable luxury finds, with many celebrating China for making high-end goods more accessible:

@SimplyKeke joked:

"From now on, we don't walk fast to hide our original fakes😂😂 We walk with pride."

@Izz_Lex shared their bargain:

"I just got myself a Prada cargo pants for $2 from Chinatown."

@Oscat Begundals found humour in the situation:

"Maybe we should thank Trump 😂"

@maVeelakazi had bigger plans:

"I'm going to buy myself a husband ❤️"

@Unit7 was grateful:

"Now we finally value cheap product 😂 Thank you China ❤️🇨🇳 🔥🔥"

@koenamel offered political analysis:

"China has been burning to come out and show brands flames, but was restricted by the relationship their country had with the USA. Donald has set them free by the tariffs."

More China-US trade stories

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African woman who proudly showed off her Nike Air Force and Jordan shoes purchased from China for a fraction of the usual price.
• South Africans couldn't get enough of a Chinese man who impersonated Donald Trump on TikTok, with his spot-on mimicry reminding Mzansi of their sense of humour.
• Jaws dropped when a Chinese man revealed that a VW Polo costs 98% less in China than in South Africa.

Source: Briefly News