“Is It True?”: Joburg Man Shows Wealthiest Township With R1 Million Properties but SA Disagrees
- A content creator shared data showing which South African township has the highest property values, with some homes worth over R1 million
- The research revealed that 20% of households in this township earn over R13,000 monthly, making it significantly wealthier than other areas
- South Africans flooded the comments section, disagreeing with the findings, arguing that other townships are actually more expensive and developed
Source: TikTok
A financial content creator has sparked heated debate across South Africa after sharing research data about which township holds the title of the country's wealthiest. The young man posted a viral video on 22 September 2025 with the caption:
"The WEALTHIEST township in South Africa. Data based on the article on Business Tech. Do you agree that Soweto is the wealthiest township..."
The video quickly gained massive attention, racking up over 38,000 views and hundreds of comments as South Africans rushed to share their opinions on the surprising findings. Many viewers disagreed with the results, claiming their own areas were far more developed and expensive than the township mentioned in the research.
According to the data he shared, the research looked at household income, property values, and transfer activity to determine which township tops the wealth charts. The findings showed that over 20% of households in the winning township earn more than R13,000 per month, with property values hitting just over the R1 million mark in some areas.
He compared these numbers with those of other major townships, pointing out that in Khayelitsha, 60% of households earn under R6,500 monthly, and no properties have reached the one million rand mark yet. The research concluded that Soweto takes the crown as South Africa's wealthiest township, thanks to its formal housing upgrades and growing middle class.
Source: TikTok
SA reacts to wealthiest township claims
@Zulu Goddess said:
"Soweto is also one of the cleanest townships ☄️☄️"
@Phiwe added:
"Between uMlazi & Soweto."
@Oscar argued:
"Nah... whoever researched this must be from Soweto... I was born in Soweto, but I have a house in Tembisa, and believe me, Tembisa is very expensive... A four-room house in Tembisa is worth over 600k, while in Soweto, they are less than 500k..."
@JaeSun wrote:
"Forget townships, people are moving back to Rural areas and building mansions way better than what you'd find in Cape Town, Joburg and Durban suburbs. Now that malls are being built in these areas, even better. Check out Limpopo rural mansions."
@umar_abed_1 asked:
"What about lenz?"
@Nomthy said:
"Not true, most of us are unemployed and we still live in matchbox houses that have an increased evaluation of 250 000."
@OkaMasumpa added:
"The least poor township. Rich cannot begin to define anyone living in a township."
South Africa's township property data
Content creator @ruveshenmoodley regularly shares financial advice and current affairs content, helping his followers understand complex economic topics. The data he referenced came from Lightstone research, which analysed South Africa's three largest townships by looking at economic factors, including household income and property transfer activity.
According to BusinessTech, research shows that the average property value in Soweto is R585,000, with around 1,600 homes worth more than R1 million. This shows the township’s growth and size, as it is home to about 1.5 million people and has seen major housing upgrades over the years, helping to grow the middle class and push property values higher.
View the TikTok clip below:
Other people in Soweto making headlines
- Briefly News recently reported on a Soweto man who turned trash into treasure by building a recycling business, but his ultimate dream had the community rallying behind him.
- A Soweto serial rapist was finally arrested after a 17-year crime spree, but the details of how police caught him had residents breathing a sigh of relief.
- An American tourist's visit to Soweto went viral after he tried local cuisine, but his reaction to the traditional food had locals beaming with pride.
Source: Briefly News
