"You Can Pay Rent": SA Man in Australia Compares Poverty Levels Between the Two Countries
- Bradly Joubert, a South African personal coach now living in Australia, shared a candid video comparing what poverty looks like in both countries
- He argued that living paycheck to paycheck in Australia still affords a level of safety and comfort that many South Africans simply cannot access
- His video sparked a wide range of reactions from South Africans and Australians living abroad
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Source: Instagram
A South African man living in Australia has sparked an online conversation after sharing his honest take on the difference between poverty in his home country and his adopted one.
Bradly Joubert, a personal coach who documents life abroad on his Instagram, filmed the now-viral clip from inside his car. Speaking directly to camera in a relaxed, reflective tone, he broke down what he had come to understand after making the move to Australia.
His core argument was straightforward. Being poor in South Africa, he said, is a fundamentally different experience from being poor in Australia. In South Africa, financial hardship can mean fighting for basic survival. In Australia, even those living paycheck to paycheck still tend to have access to housing, food and safety.
"If you are poor in South Africa, you will struggle to actually survive," he said. "You can live paycheck to paycheck here in Australia and you'll live a very comfortable life."
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He was careful to acknowledge that Australia has its own challenges, noting that Australians who have never lived in or visited developing countries may not fully appreciate what they have. He also stressed that his video was not intended as an attack on either country, but rather as a perspective worth considering.
Poverty in Australia vs South Africa
His observations do carry some statistical weight. According to the Australian Council of Social Service, an estimated 3.7 million Australians, about 14.2% of the population, live below the poverty line, defined as 50% of the median household after-tax income. Approximately 757,000 children are among them. Despite these figures, Australia's welfare infrastructure, public services and safety nets remain significantly more developed than what is available to those in poverty across much of South Africa.
Joubert later clarified in the comments that he was not dismissing Australia's housing affordability crisis or global inequality. His point, he wrote, was simply that "the experience and consequences of poverty aren't the same everywhere."
Watch the video that sparked the debate below:
What South Africans living abroad said
The video drew strong reactions from South Africans scattered across the globe:
@gailyfleur wrote:
"I'm sure indigenous Australians may have some dissenting views..."
@tinus4824 said:
"This is why South Africans all over the world can see what governments are doing wrong. Living in Germany now, I hear many Germans complain how rubbish their country is, but they have no clue."
@marshalldavies866 noted:
"Poverty in South Africa was socially engineered through slavery and colonialism."
@tay_maguire shared:
"I'm in the USA, and I have realised the exact same thing!! Definitely agree!"
@andrew_triphysio agreed:
"100% facts, living in Aus. Definitely a different world."
@kellybrittle added:
"Preach! People are so blessed in Australia. Take my tax when I get something for it!"
@nickfit365 summed it up:
"Back in SA the good things are excellent, but the bad is terrible. It's a place of extremes. Aus is the entire middle ground in comparison."
More on South Africans abroad
- Briefly News recently reported on England’s South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg being sidelined indefinitely after a worrying run of head injuries.
- Western Australia is recruiting South African teachers with salaries of over R1 million a year.
- The UK has confirmed 25 careers that could help South Africans qualify for work visas at lower salary thresholds.
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Source: Briefly News
