“We’re Moving There”: SA Stunned As ‘Jack Mabaso’ Shows How To Survive a Day in China With R50
- A Chinese content creator known online as “Jack Mabaso” posted a video breaking down his daily food spending in China
- He showed exactly what he eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner while spending under R50
- South Africans flooded the comments comparing the prices to food costs back home
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Source: Facebook
A Chinese content creator known online as “Jack Mabaso” posted a video on Facebook on 22 July 2026, showing South Africans how R50 stretches through breakfast, lunch and dinner in China.
He earned the nickname after a South African fan joked about it online. The name comes from a popular character on the soap opera Generations. He adopted it to connect better with his growing local fan base. He usually posts about smartphones, cars and daily life for his fans. This time, he focused on everyday food costs instead of gadgets or vehicles.
How far R50 goes for one day
In the clip, he visits a small restaurant near his apartment complex for breakfast. He bought bean soup, two eggs and a steamed bun filled with pork. That breakfast costs him about just under R14 in total for the morning meal. For lunch, he ordered chopped meat with fried noodles through a delivery app.
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The meal costs roughly 9 yuan, which works out to about R22. His food arrived within 25 minutes, and the portion surprises him. For dinner, he struggles to decide and settles on buying a watermelon instead. The 3KG watermelon cost him just over 3 yuan and some cents.
By the end of the day, he spent around R18 in total. That converts to roughly R45, leaving him with change from his R50 budget. He said that food in China is affordable, even for people with modest incomes. He adds that homeless or hungry people are rarely seen where he lives.
South Africans flooded Jack Mabaso's the comment section with reactions about the price difference. Some joked that R50 barely buys a kota with a cold drink back home. Others said high fuel prices keep South Africans poorer than they should be. A few followers said the video convinced them to consider moving to China.
Watch the video below:
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Source: Briefly News
