“Don’t You Use Coupons?”: South Africans Curious About H-2A Farmer’s Expensive Walmart Trip
- An Afrikaner farmer with an H-2A visa, Jacques Faith van Tonder, went to Walmart in the United States with his wife
- After filling their trolley and heading to the self-checkout, Jacques found the groceries to be quite expensive
- South African shoppers expressed their thoughts about the cost and suggested more affordable retail stores to shop at
Source: UGC
Jacques Faith van Tonder, an Afrikaner farmer with an H-2A visa, and his wife took a trip to Walmart, showing the online crowd how much he paid for a trolley full of groceries. He found the total cost expensive, which sparked a conversation among internet users.
On 19 October, 2025, Jacques uploaded a TikTok clip of himself and his wife roaming the American grocery store's aisles, something they normally do every two to three weeks. Red and white meat, juice, cooldrink, fabric softener, vegetables, and other items were added to their shopping cart.
Once they reached the self-checkout, Jacques revealed that the items cost them $316, which was approximately R5 400 at the time of publication.
The farmer noted in his caption:
"I just wanted to show you how much it costs. The food here in America has become very expensive, especially the meat."
What is an H-2A visa?
When applying for an H-2A visa, applicants seek temporary employment in the United States to work agricultural jobs. It should not be confused with an H-2B visa, which allows applicants to work non-agricultural jobs.
Cost of Walmart groceries surprises the internet
A few local members of the online community flocked to the comment section after watching Jacques and his wife grocery shopping. While some social media users suggested the duo shop elsewhere to lower the cost, others expressed shock when they converted the dollars to rands.
Source: Getty Images
@numzaaan stated with a laugh:
"Goodness gracious. That's what I spend a month on food in America."
A curious @carol.conradie asked under the post:
"Don't you use coupons to get stuff for free? I watched all the coupon shows, and the customers get so much off and sometimes don't pay when they use it."
Keeping their wallets in mind, @j_intheusa suggested to the Afrikaner couple:
"Consider shopping at Aldi or Lidl. There are better quality items, and they're cheaper."
@_net_sandra_ added in the comment section:
"Why don't you guys go to Costco?"
An amused @woodcraftsandarts laughed and shared:
"People want to show how expensive America is in rands. You stay in America, live according to the dollars, not the rands. And what about the income?"
Watch the TikTok video on Jacques's account below:
3 More stories about H2A workers in the United States
- In another article, Briefly News reported that two farmers found moments of joy on the farm, which resonated with social media users. The fun-loving clip showed them working in a positive environment.
- A heartbreaking video showed an emotional Afrikaner farmer preparing himself to return to the United States. Some South Africans responded with compassion, while others were happy for him to leave.
- The same Afrikaner farmer shared his honest thoughts about the challenges faced regarding the H2A visa programme. He spoke directly to both the farmers and their spouses.
Source: Briefly News
