“More Like Extortion”: Chinese Man Breaks Down Cost of Charging an Electric Car in SA vs China

• A man from China who previously lived in South Africa compared what it costs to charge an electric car in China versus what South Africans are currently paying
• The man drives a BYD plug-in hybrid in China and pays about R30 for a full charge, working out to roughly R14 per 100 kilometres
• South Africans in the comments were frustrated, with many saying the real problem is not just the price but where all that money actually goes

A Chinese content creator known as @jackmabasou on TikTok has been living in China for a few years after spending time in South Africa. On 17 May 2026, he shared a video responding to a clip from a South African energy expert in Johannesburg who broke down what it would cost to charge an electric car in SA.

The expert used a small electric vehicle with a 40-kilowatt-hour battery as his example, and the numbers he shared caught the Chinese creator's attention. What really got him was hearing that one unit of electricity in South Africa now costs R4.

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He said:

"Is it true, guys? I remember one unit cost about two rands when I was living in South Africa. Now it's double the price."

He then compared it to his own experience driving a BYD plug-in hybrid in China for three years. His car has a 22-kilowatt-hour battery and costs him around R30 for a full charge, working out to about R1.40 per unit.

On a full charge, he can drive around 120 kilometres in summer with the air conditioning on, or about 80 kilometres in winter with the heater running. He put the average at 100 kilometres, meaning 100km costs him about R14 in China.

How SA electricity prices compare globally

South Africa's electricity costs have been climbing for years. According to a report on BusinessTech sharing findings from independent energy analyst Pieter Jordaan, South African households currently pay the equivalent of $186 (around R3,100 according to Wise Currency Converter) per megawatt-hour. This makes it the seventh most expensive among G20 nations on a direct pricing basis.

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That sits just above the United States at $181 (around R3,000 according to Wise Currency Converter) per megawatt-hour. When you factor in purchasing power and what people actually earn, the picture gets worse. South African households have to work 11.3 days on average to afford one megawatt-hour of electricity, with only India ranking worse at 11.7 days.

Eskom has argued that South Africans are underpaying for electricity, but critics point out that the utility's costs include a workforce of 42,000 people and a long history of inflated procurement spending.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

SA reacts to electric car charging cost comparison

South Africans had plenty to say about the numbers TikToker @jackmabasou shared:

@thapelothamaga86 said:

"Can't be true. Everything is expensive to a point where we can't keep up."

@katlegomolefe39 noted:

"When you stay in Soweto, one unit is for free. EV will be very convenient for Soweto."

@rudolph.baloyi.ro joked:

"R4 in South Africa gets you a blank electricity receipt."

@beast4241 said:

"Yes, because our government needs to fill their pockets."

More on SA electricity costs

• Briefly News recently reported on Sizwe Dhlomo sharing his surprisingly low Eskom bill online.
• Eskom workers are set to earn closer to R20,000 a month from July 2026 after a new wage agreement.
• A South African woman brought three years of electricity receipts to TikTok to make her point about what households are spending.

Source: Briefly News