“Your Money Disappears”: Joburg Gent Breaks Down 5 Things SA Pays More for Than Most in the World

• A Johannesburg man listed five things South Africans overpay for compared to the rest of the world
• His breakdown painted a very clear picture of why so many South Africans feel like their money disappears before the month is over
• South Africans flooded the comments with strong opinions and a few pushbacks on some of the figures shared

Jandre de Beer, a Joburg content creator who regularly shares eye-opening stories about South Africa, posted a video on 26 March 2026 about costs in SA. Standing on a building balcony, he walked through five things South Africans pay more for than the rest of the world, and the list hit harder than most people expected.

He started with mobile data at number five. One gigabyte of data in South Africa costs around R20, which sounds reasonable until you realise 27 other African countries pay less. Number four was electricity. Eskom increased prices by almost 13% in 2026, which is four times faster than the inflation rate. Since 2008, electricity costs have gone up by over 500%. At number three came university fees.

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The next cost was iPhones and electronics. He said that an iPhone in South Africa costs almost double what Americans pay, with import duties, VAT, and retailer markups adding roughly R15,000 to the price of the exact same device. And at number one, the item that got the most reaction was cars. He explained that every time a South African buys a new car, the government takes around R120,000 in tax.

According to a report from BusinessTech, living expenses already take up 85.3% of the average South African's monthly income. Groceries use up 30.4%, energy 11.5% and transport 9.1%. For minimum wage workers, electricity and transport alone eat up more than 60% of their entire earnings, leaving almost nothing for food, savings or anything else.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

SA debates the list of things

People had a lot to say in the comments section on Facebook user @jandredebeer88's clip:

@Ben Tutsirai Chibukira wrote:

"The same Ford Ranger assembled here in SA is cheaper in England."

@Tshepo Austin Nzama said:

"True. I was in China and got my iPhone 17 for R15k."

@Fritz Carstens added:

"Death and taxes. In SA, you also get taxed for dying. They will bleed you until you are dry and then ask for more."

@Prince Cruza Skosana pointed out:

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"There are other things we pay less for, like food, housing plots, and car repairs, which are way cheaper than in most countries."

@Shayne Janks said:

"Never mind your salary tax. One of the highest in the world."

@Jeff Meneses asked:

"On an R800k car... Who is buying an R800k car?"

@Lungelo Phila Khuzwayo noted:

"Universities in the US are super expensive, and iPhones are not R15k more expensive, not that different."

@Melusi added:

"Tax is cheaper in South Africa than in Germany and France. Tertiary education is technically free if you cannot afford it."

More on SA's rising costs

• Briefly News recently reported on a luxury train experience in South Africa costing R40,000.
• Major filling stations were ordered to hike diesel prices to R27.50 per litre, and South Africans debating the legality of the increase had the comments section going.
• A UK travel creator called South Africa the land of cheap and amazing steak after paying for a fillet in Cape Town.

Source: Briefly News