ActionSA MP Athol Trollip slams Woolworths for charging R17 for a teabag

ActionSA MP Athol Trollip slams Woolworths for charging R17 for a teabag

CAPE TOWN– ActionSA Parliamentary Leader, Athol Trollip, was furious that Woolworths charged him R17 for a teabag.

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ActionSA MP Athol Trollip's wife was charged R17 for a teabag in Cape Town
Athol Trollip had to pay almost R20 for a teabag. Images: Michael Sheehan/AFP and Stefania Pelfini la Waziya
Source: Getty Images

Trollip revealed on his @AtholT X account that he had lunch with his wife at Woolworths at the Waterfront in Cape Town on 8 June 2026. His wife was enjoying a pot of tea and when the tea became weak, she asked for a tea bag. To her surprise, Woolworths charged them R17 for the teabag.

“I understand the need for cost coverage but R17.00 for a teabag? This is a rip off!”

Read the tweet on X here:

What did South Africans say?

Netizens shared their experiences with expensive prices in Cape Town, which was voted the Best City in the World in 2025.

Slaughter said:

“This is what they do! They usually target public figures and just assume that they have money for days. It has gotten to that point where when you look presentable and people just assume you have money. They don't expect you to complain about a R17!”

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Pum said:

“Welcome to Cape Town where two extra slices of bread if you ask is R24.”

Ajustcause said:

“We went there a few years back for Tapaz. It was so expensive that we never went back again. There are better establishments where you pay the same kind of money. But a retail eatery, no ways!”

Athol Trollip wins hearts with Xhosa interview

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Trollip impressed South Africans when he conducted an interview in isiXhosa. Trollip, known for his fluency in isiXhosa, was interviewed by a popular white TikToker who is also fluent in isiXhosa.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tebogo Mokwena avatar

Tebogo Mokwena (Current Affairs editor) Tebogo Mokwena is a senior current affairs writer at Briefly News. With a Diploma in Journalism from ALISON, he has a strong background in digital journalism, having completed training with the Google News Initiative. He began his career as a journalist at Daily Sun, where he worked for four years before becoming a sub-editor and journalist at Capricorn Post. He then joined Vutivi Business News in 2020 before moving to Briefly News in 2023. Email: tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za