“You Guys Are Rich”: Chinese Man Breaks Down What R100k Salary Can Afford in China Compared to SA

A Chinese man known online as Jack Mabaso fired back at a viral budget breakdown on Facebook on 10 May 2026. He said that R100,000 a month is more than enough to live on.

Mabaso's response came after Somerset West social media strategist Magriet Groenewald showed how her family of four burns through nearly R86,000 a month just to stay afloat.

Groenewald posted her breakdown on 29 April 2026 on Instagram, walking followers through her household’s biggest costs. SARS alone swallowed R30,000, followed by housing and vehicles. She concluded the family was left with virtually nothing after expenses, and had not even budgeted for savings.

Jack Mabaso did not hold back

Mabaso watched the video and had one clear reaction: South Africans are rich and do not know it. He said R100,000 a month translates to roughly half a million yuan a year in China. That kind of money, he argued, goes an incredibly long way there.

Read also

"30 June is a real date": Bianca weighs in on Mel's US departure date and ankle monitor, SA debates

He broke it down using cars as his measuring stick. In China, that annual salary could buy more than five VW Polo hatchbacks or more than three Tiguan SUVs. It could also cover two Audi Q5s or put a Mercedes-Benz E-Class well within reach.

His conclusion was blunt: South Africa’s high cost of living is driven by South Africans themselves. He believes people in the country earn too much, which inflates the prices of everything around them.

Groenewald said she shared her family’s numbers to push for more honest money conversations. She believes financial secrecy leads people to overspend and compare themselves to influencers who get most things for free.

Watch the video below:

More breakdowns on Briefly

• A University of Zululand graduate left Mzansi thoroughly impressed after sharing a TikTok post breaking down exactly what her graduation day cost her in May 2026.
• A South African woman revealed how she bought her first car cash while earning a R6,500 monthly salary.
• A worried social media user broke down the cost for Mama Joy's FIFA World Cup trip to the United States.

Source: Briefly News