“Keep the Change”: Joburg Man Puts 50c Petrol in His Car To See Girlfriend Leaving SA in Stitches

• A content creator responded to a challenge by actually going to a petrol station and asking an attendant to fill his car with 50 cents' worth of fuel
• The petrol attendant laughed but agreed to help, managing to get 0.03 litres of petrol
• South Africans were shocked and amused that he actually pulled off the challenge
• Briefly News spoke to financial expert Farook Mohammed on why many people struggle financially in January, and the most common causes of this problem

A content creator from Johannesburg has left South Africans in fits of laughter after responding to a challenge that asked him to try putting 50 cents' worth of petrol in his car. The video was posted on 13 January 2026 and shows the young man actually going through with the request at a petrol station. The clip was created as a response to a social media user who goes by the social media handle @UnabletoAble, who commented:

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"Bro, please try to fill up 50 cent petrol at any garage."

In the video, the content creator says he's going to try putting in 50 cents' worth of petrol, joking that it's Januworry and he just needs to get to his girlfriend's place. When the petrol attendant comes to ask how much fuel he needs, the content creator asks if he can fill some 50 cents' worth of petrol. The attendant gives him a confused look and laughs, explaining that the car is just going to move forward a bit and then stop. The content creator insists, saying Januworry is tough and he just needs to push through until payday comes around.

The petrol attendant, understanding the struggle, agrees to help and asks whether he wants 95 or 93 fuel. After choosing 93, the attendant unscrews the petrol lid and comments that January is indeed tough. He then presses the fuel button slightly for about a second, and the price on the filling machine shows 62 cents for 0.03 litres of petrol. Both men start laughing at the absurdity of the situation. The content creator then says he has a 10-cent coin somewhere and goes to his car to get it. He hands over the coin to the attendant and tells him to keep the change, sending both of them into more laughter.

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Speaking to Briefly News writer Nerissa Naidoo, financial expert Farook Mohammed explained why many people struggle financially in January and the most common causes of this problem:

"January is often difficult because many people overspend during December on holidays, gifts, food, and entertainment. Let's not forget that added pressure comes from school fees, transport costs, and debit orders that resume in the new year, leaving people with little or no savings to fall back on."

When asked what simple tips people can follow to avoid financial stress in January, he listed a few:

"People need to plan by setting a realistic festive-season budget, saving specifically for January expenses, and avoiding unnecessary debt. Another great tip is to start tracking spending, prioritising essential costs, and cutting back on non-essentials, which can help households start the year in a stronger and more stable financial position."

Watch the Instagram clip below:

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Mzansi loves the fun challenge

The video had people impressed that he actually went through with the challenge. Many viewers noted that the petrol attendant was a good sport for helping Instagram user @yung_earn out, stating:

@venus.official wrote:

"It's him actually doing it for me😭💀"

@wrld.of_gerard joked:

"Keep the change😭😭"

@emilin_no1 added:

"We know that you added more petrol afterwards 😂"

@nazmeera_mujahidsaleem gushed:

"At least you'll tred it 👏😂😂"

@justjohnsmit commented:

"This video is next level🤣🤣🤣"

@saulighajappie said:

"😂😂😂 I can't believe you actually did that."

@deshan.ethan stated:

"That 50c would've only taken you to get the other 10c😭🤣"

@i_am_mello_underdog wrote:

"50c petrol is diabolical, bro😂😂"

@jaysonmakasi asked:

"Did anything come out though?"

3 Other funny pranks in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on a TikTok prank involving AI imagery that led to a family misunderstanding.
• A young man took to social media, telling people about a terrible prank his friends pulled on him.
• A local woman shared a TikTok video of how she and a man pranked staff members at a McDonald's restaurant, leaving people in disbelief.

Source: Briefly News