“They Overcharged You”: Woman Reveals Cost To Build a House in SA, Leaving Mzansi Stunned
- A TikTok account documenting a South African home build revealed that 109,000 bricks alone cost R345,000 to buy
- The woman behind the account said the brick bill excluded labour and cement, only covering raw material costs
- An online building cost estimator shows a 300 square metre home in Mpumalanga could cost over R2.6 million
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A South African TikTok account revealed the brick costs of their new home build. The video, posted on 2 August 2026, showed 109,000 bricks costing R345,000.
House of Zen documents building a short-term rental home on an estate. The bio describes tracking raw numbers and building costs from the ground up. The account regularly posts updates comparing budgeted costs against actual amounts spent.
Aerial images shared with the post showed the brick walls taking shape on site. In the caption, the account said material costs push new builds far past buyer expectations.
Bricks alone cost more than many expect
The woman running the account said people should block anyone claiming building is cheap. She said the R345,000 covered only bricks, not labour or cement expenses. That works out to 109,000 individual bricks bought just to reach this stage. She asked followers whether the price was normal or if they were overcharged.
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Many buyers assume bricks form only a small part of a building budget. This latest post focused solely on the brick supply for the entire structure. The floor plan revealed multiple rooms already outlined within the brick foundation walls.
An online building cost estimator shows current material and labour rates by province. For Mpumalanga, the tool lists a standard rate of R10,400 per square metre. A 300 square metre home would then cost between R2.6 million and R3.6 million.
That range excludes extra costs for extensions or higher-end finish choices. A standard mid-range finish level was used to calculate the estimate shown. Extensions typically cost around fifteen per cent more because of added tie-in work. The estimate suggests brick costs form only part of a much larger bill.
Watch the costs so far in the TikTok video:
3 more articles about South Africans building houses
- A woman has gained admiration for her determination and hard work in building her own house from scratch without professional contractors.
- A woman built a house using trash in KwaMhlabuyalingana, turning discarded materials into a functional home.
- A 20-year-old South African woman, @arepherh.1, purchased a plot of land and began building a home for her family.
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Source: Briefly News
