“Impossible”: Midrand Man Shows How Far R100 Goes When Buying Food in a Night Market in China
- A Midrand man who travels to China regularly decided to see how much food he could buy for R100 at a night market
- He managed to buy chicken drumsticks and a ton of food and only spent R92 in total
- Social media users were amazed by how far the money stretched, with some asking where in China the market is located
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Source: Facebook
Imagine walking into a night market with just R100 and leaving with bags of food, and all for only R92. That's exactly what happened when a Midrand man decided to test how far South African money goes at a night market in China.
In his video from 19 September 2025, he takes viewers along on his food adventure. The night market he visits opens at 7:00 PM and stays open until 5:00 AM, giving people plenty of time to grab some delicious street food. First, he buys a chicken leg for 5 RMB, which works out to about R12. Then he spots a bowl of fried baby potatoes going for 6 RMB, or around R15. He can't stop talking about how amazing they are, fried in oil with a garlic flavour that he reckons is even better than chips.
Next, he finds a burger stand and grabs a beef burger for 12 RMB, about R30. He mentions that beef burgers in China cost more than typical Chinese food because they're seen as more of a Western thing. So far, he's spent R57, which means he's still got R43 left to spend. He comes across a fried mushroom stand where the lady asks him to choose which mushrooms he wants. He picks one for 10 RMB, which is R25. Finally, he grabs a lemon juice for 4 RMB, about R10, bringing his total to R92.
The clip went viral, pulling in loads of reactions from South Africans who couldn't believe how much food you can buy for R100 in China. He even shares the food with his kids at the end, saying the fried mushrooms are crispy and delicious.
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Source: Facebook
Mzansi reacts to China's food prices
People flooded the comments section with questions and reactions to the man's night market haul.
@bulelwa_mangcu asked:
"Whereabout in China is this Food Market? Because I struggled in Guangzhou to find food."
@mfana_quinton_swiss joked:
"That old R100 note can buy a lot of food, that's why."
@mas_t_duda questioned:
"How much to go to China?"
@bomie_ntinganti simply said:
"Impossible."
@aadam_hoosain wrote:
"Where in China is this❤️."
@katlego_phumo asked:
"So wena, you still have that note?"
@norah_mama_bashimane_masebe said:
"How I wish I could move away from South Africa, the economy here is killing us, same as unemployment 😭😭."
Price differences in China
Content creator @mabasou, who lives in Midrand and travels to China often, shared the video to show the difference in food prices between South Africa and China. Experts at the Library of Economics and Liberty explain that what really matters is relative prices, not just the absolute price of something.
In China, a meal that costs 30 yuan (about $4.20 or R75) would easily cost over R350 in California when you factor in tax and tip. Part-time restaurant workers in China earn about $2.50 per hour, but they can buy a nice lunch with just 1.5 hours of work. Haircuts in Beijing cost around $4.20 and are higher quality than $20 cuts in California.
Watch the Facebook clip below:
Other stories about life outside SA
- Briefly News recently reported on a Zulu man who showed what KFC looks like in China, and the unusual dish sparked jokes and comparisons online.
- A South African man living in China compared iPhone prices abroad and revealed just how much more expensive they are back home, sparking nationwide outrage.
- A South African woman's post from South Korea sparked laughter after showing her new iPhone safely delivered to her doorstep, highlighting the differences in safety between countries.
Source: Briefly News
