“It’s Actually Crazy”: Cape Town Man Pays R60 To Charge an Electric Car to Full in Durban

• A Cape Town content creator shared a video of himself charging his Geely electric car to 100% at a mall in Durban, and the price he paid left people talking
• With petrol prices still climbing, the amount he paid for the charge got people comparing the real cost of driving electric versus filling up at the pump
• South Africans had mixed feelings, with some impressed by the savings and others questioning the range on a full charge

Cape Town content creator @matthewravell posted a video on 24 May 2026 that had South Africans weighing up whether electric cars are actually worth it. He was in Durban at Watercress Mall with his friend Adam, figuring out how to charge his Geely electric vehicle for the very first time. He went on to say:

"It's actually crazy how much cheaper it is to drive electric!!! 😭😭"

In the video, Matthew walked viewers through the whole process, from locating the charging point to plugging in the cable. He was excited, commenting on the car's lighting and interior as the charging metre climbed.

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After grabbing some ice cream and coming back to find the car at 80%, he stuck around until it hit 100%. The car showed 105km of range on a full charge, and in the comments, Matthew confirmed the charge cost him R60.

How much does it cost to charge a Geely EV?

When it comes to these cars, charging costs in South Africa vary depending on where you plug in.

At home, a full charge typically runs between R120 and R150 using standard electricity rates. If you have solar panels, that drops. Public fast chargers, like the one Matthew used, usually sit between R5.50 and R8.00 per kWh, depending on the network.

The R60 Matthew paid shows that he got a solid deal at that charging station.

Geely EVs also come with a complimentary home wallbox when purchased, along with between R7,500 and R10,000 in public charging vouchers, which makes the switch a little easier for new owners.

Watch the TikTok clip below:

Mzansi reacts to R60 full charge

People had plenty of opinions to share on Matthew's TikTok page after he showed how far you could go with a full charge:

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@zippydeedoodaa wrote:

"100km is disappointing, honestly speaking. Wish it was more."

@franklin_s questioned:

"100km 😳😳😳 That's like uhh… charge to go and charge to come back. How does that make any sense?"

@mamkhatshwa pointed out:

"Travelling from Gauteng to Durban would be a headache 🥺"

@kutlwisiso_1 asked:

"Does it have a power saving mode? 🤔"

@pravesh suggested:

"A hybrid should self-charge."

@oomkoos69 asked:

"How much did it cost?"

@100km wrote:

"R60? Petrol would be R200 for 100km, done in 5 seconds. No thanks."

@truthreplys added:

"105km is a very poor range for a full charge."

More on interesting cars in South Africa

• Briefly News recently reported on a strange sight under an electric car's bonnet that left Mzansi questioning how these vehicles actually work.
• A man from China broke down what it costs him to charge his electric car compared to South Africa.
• Another man showed his latest idea for travelling to beat the constantly increasing fuel prices.

Source: Briefly News