Kevin
The Dude
PS4 prices: SA vs the world
How do South Africa’s discounted PS4 prices compare to the rest of the world? Let’s find out
How do South Africa’s discounted PS4 prices compare to the rest of the world? Let’s find out
PS4 international price comparison
- Thread starter Kevin
- Start date
DieGrootHammer
Daddy TK
I've always found that comparing prices like this is a bit inaccurate. It's a direct comparison, but the "value" of $399 is maybe not in line as what R6300 is. Having never been to America, I can't say off of first hand experience, but the actual value of $399 may be a bit easier to obtain than R6300. It may even be higher. It's this cost of living factor that must play a role in these type of exercises, and is really difficult to get right.
Still, it does seem that we do pay more than other countries, and with game prices being so high, and a very limited amount of must-have games, makes it a difficult sell. I wonder how has the sales figures been for the PS4 in SA to date?
Still, it does seem that we do pay more than other countries, and with game prices being so high, and a very limited amount of must-have games, makes it a difficult sell. I wonder how has the sales figures been for the PS4 in SA to date?
Grievous
New member
You point is completely valid, it's not as simple as doing a direct price comparison. I would take guess though $399 is relatively worth less in America than it is in South Africa. I suspect the direct price difference is because of import tax.
DieGrootHammer
Daddy TK
Indeed. It shows just how much we have to pay for import taxes.
Ike_009
Assassin of Accountants
DieGrootHammer
Daddy TK
Ah yes thank, I forgot what it was called.
matt
Local caffeine junky
And then chuck on 14% VAT as well
XbatousaiX
New member
I have a friend that lives in the States and have been thinking I could get him to buy me a Ps4 over there and send it to me.The only problem is will it still be under warranty though.
Ike_009
Assassin of Accountants
Nope and you will likely also pay the 14% vat on the importation.
I lived in the UK for a couple of years and can share some interesting numbers with those who are interested...
I went there knowing full well that the PS1 and Ps2 are well expensive items over here and, although I always wanted one, I could never afford it. So I arrived there and did menial manual labour jobs in various factories. One day, the guy standing next to me as we were putting the sausages into the cans, told me about the XBox and how it is so much better than the PS2. Then he let slip that he was playing some PS2 games the weekend and I asked him: "So which one do you have?". When he said he had both I thought he must be super rich and working in the canned foods factory out of boredom...
Then I went to the shops and got the surprise of my life! I was (quite literally) a slave in those days. Working between 12 and 18 hour days 6 to 7 days a week, getting half the minimum wage and still having money deducted for rent and transportation to work, sometime being forced into double or triple shifts, never knowing what house I will be living in when I get back from work or what job I would be doing from one day to the next but even so... I managed to buy an Xbox and start a game and DVD collection.
When I was finally sold to the canned foods factory I started working normal shifts and earning normal wages... so I bought my first car (Cash) and my first flat screen TV (also cash). Saved up for a month or three and bought my first MacBook (cash)... Then my visa came to an end and I was forced to work a maximum of 20 hours a week maximum... so I bought a Mercedes and an iMac... upgraded to iMac and expanded my games collection.
Do the maths... national minimum wage was £5.60 per hour. Brand new games, release day price was £50. Thus, one and a half day's work and you have the cash to buy the game new. Of course, by day 5 you can start buying pre-owned games and pay anywhere from 50% up for the same game that only last week cost full price. And let's not forget the car boot sales each Sunday where you pick up chipped PS2 consoles for £5! Yeah, you read that right. I bought a Dreamcast with 50 games and it only cost me R150.
Second hand games is huge business over there with any sports game from the year before selling for £1. In 2012, Fifa 12 will cost you £50. In 2013, Fifa 12 costs £0.99. Entires shelves full of £5 or 10 or two for 15 games for all consoles... Gaming over there is so darn cheap that I could never justify buying a game full price... the only games I ever paid full price for was Dead Or Alive 3 the day when I bought my XBox and Motorstorm on PS3 launch day. Heck, I even stood in the queues at midnight to make sure I got it!
End result of my time in the UK... I currently have 14 consoles and over 100 original titles as well as various accessories and what not. Wireless adaptors for Wii controllers, Wii balance board, Move, multiple PsEyes... Loads of stuff. I have so much stuff that i haven't yet played most of it. Heck, some of my games are still sealed in their original cellophane...6 years after I bought them...
Now, I am back in South Africa and I have to walk past all the game shops because I can't afford to spend R700 on a game! Bloody hell! In the UK I buy my PS3 cash. In South Africa I need the insurance to replace it. I bought an XBOX One recently but that is the first hardware I have bought since I returned to South Africa in 2008. I just can't afford to buy anything over here because R700 is a hell of a lot of groceries...
In contrast, in the UK you work for minimum £5.60 per hour but bread costs anywhere from £0.20+ and 2l of milk only costs £1.10. Heck, I bought canned foods for £0.20 and microwave meals cost £5 for 5 meals. Cost of living in the UK was bloody amazing! I was working 20 hours a week and I rented my own twin storey flat, drove a Mercedes, bought a new flat screen TV every few months, had too many consoles to connect to all the jacks on the TV and so many games that I still haven't played most of them...
Over here, I feel they are trying to rape me when I see that they take the overseas price and then add and extra 50 to 80% to any tech product's price when I know first hand that money is worth far more overseas than it is here. We earn far less than our overseas cousins but stuff costs far more over here so our money does far less than it does over there... and then they charge us extra...
To all who care to listen... I have only one word to say to you... eBay! I buy my games from the States brand new and still sealed and pay only half the price it costs over here. I have never been charged a cent import tax on any of the games I received so the only drawback is having to wait between 2 and 6 weeks before you receive it... but man... brand new and sealed games for R300... some even less! And if you are prepared to go second hand you can pick up PS3 games from as little as £1... Now where else in South Africa are you gonna find a selection of PS3 games for R15 ???
Final verdict, games are too expensive in South Africa. Even since my return I have bought all my games from overseas and recently I found that buying it via the online stores is also quite cheap so now I am all for PSN and LiveGold accounts. With XBOX One games starting from at little as $10 there is no way in hell that I am going to spend R800+ for games in South Africa... no chance at all!
I went there knowing full well that the PS1 and Ps2 are well expensive items over here and, although I always wanted one, I could never afford it. So I arrived there and did menial manual labour jobs in various factories. One day, the guy standing next to me as we were putting the sausages into the cans, told me about the XBox and how it is so much better than the PS2. Then he let slip that he was playing some PS2 games the weekend and I asked him: "So which one do you have?". When he said he had both I thought he must be super rich and working in the canned foods factory out of boredom...
Then I went to the shops and got the surprise of my life! I was (quite literally) a slave in those days. Working between 12 and 18 hour days 6 to 7 days a week, getting half the minimum wage and still having money deducted for rent and transportation to work, sometime being forced into double or triple shifts, never knowing what house I will be living in when I get back from work or what job I would be doing from one day to the next but even so... I managed to buy an Xbox and start a game and DVD collection.
When I was finally sold to the canned foods factory I started working normal shifts and earning normal wages... so I bought my first car (Cash) and my first flat screen TV (also cash). Saved up for a month or three and bought my first MacBook (cash)... Then my visa came to an end and I was forced to work a maximum of 20 hours a week maximum... so I bought a Mercedes and an iMac... upgraded to iMac and expanded my games collection.
Do the maths... national minimum wage was £5.60 per hour. Brand new games, release day price was £50. Thus, one and a half day's work and you have the cash to buy the game new. Of course, by day 5 you can start buying pre-owned games and pay anywhere from 50% up for the same game that only last week cost full price. And let's not forget the car boot sales each Sunday where you pick up chipped PS2 consoles for £5! Yeah, you read that right. I bought a Dreamcast with 50 games and it only cost me R150.
Second hand games is huge business over there with any sports game from the year before selling for £1. In 2012, Fifa 12 will cost you £50. In 2013, Fifa 12 costs £0.99. Entires shelves full of £5 or 10 or two for 15 games for all consoles... Gaming over there is so darn cheap that I could never justify buying a game full price... the only games I ever paid full price for was Dead Or Alive 3 the day when I bought my XBox and Motorstorm on PS3 launch day. Heck, I even stood in the queues at midnight to make sure I got it!
End result of my time in the UK... I currently have 14 consoles and over 100 original titles as well as various accessories and what not. Wireless adaptors for Wii controllers, Wii balance board, Move, multiple PsEyes... Loads of stuff. I have so much stuff that i haven't yet played most of it. Heck, some of my games are still sealed in their original cellophane...6 years after I bought them...
Now, I am back in South Africa and I have to walk past all the game shops because I can't afford to spend R700 on a game! Bloody hell! In the UK I buy my PS3 cash. In South Africa I need the insurance to replace it. I bought an XBOX One recently but that is the first hardware I have bought since I returned to South Africa in 2008. I just can't afford to buy anything over here because R700 is a hell of a lot of groceries...
In contrast, in the UK you work for minimum £5.60 per hour but bread costs anywhere from £0.20+ and 2l of milk only costs £1.10. Heck, I bought canned foods for £0.20 and microwave meals cost £5 for 5 meals. Cost of living in the UK was bloody amazing! I was working 20 hours a week and I rented my own twin storey flat, drove a Mercedes, bought a new flat screen TV every few months, had too many consoles to connect to all the jacks on the TV and so many games that I still haven't played most of them...
Over here, I feel they are trying to rape me when I see that they take the overseas price and then add and extra 50 to 80% to any tech product's price when I know first hand that money is worth far more overseas than it is here. We earn far less than our overseas cousins but stuff costs far more over here so our money does far less than it does over there... and then they charge us extra...
To all who care to listen... I have only one word to say to you... eBay! I buy my games from the States brand new and still sealed and pay only half the price it costs over here. I have never been charged a cent import tax on any of the games I received so the only drawback is having to wait between 2 and 6 weeks before you receive it... but man... brand new and sealed games for R300... some even less! And if you are prepared to go second hand you can pick up PS3 games from as little as £1... Now where else in South Africa are you gonna find a selection of PS3 games for R15 ???
Final verdict, games are too expensive in South Africa. Even since my return I have bought all my games from overseas and recently I found that buying it via the online stores is also quite cheap so now I am all for PSN and LiveGold accounts. With XBOX One games starting from at little as $10 there is no way in hell that I am going to spend R800+ for games in South Africa... no chance at all!
Regarding import taxes... That is a real strange story...
I used to import stuff all the time! eBay , like I said
A few years back, a mate of mine wanted an iPhone cable. We looked around and found prices ranging from R150 to R450 so I bought it on eBay and paid $2 for 2, instead. Got myself one as a spare, why not? $1 plus free shipping for an item that costs R450 at the iStore... Laughable.
Import Tax: R0.
I bought 3 brand new and sealed ps3 games: Cost including shipping $37. Import Tax: R0
I bought a continuos flow ink system for my printer and later another one for my cousin. Around $35 each. Tax R0.
Bought a chip for my Wii: R150. Tax R0
Bought a battery pack for the ONE controller, R40. Tax R0.
Bought a power supply for the Kinect, paid R80. Tax R0.
Bought an FM transmitter for my iPhone to play my music through my car's radio without having to use wires. R30. Tax R0
...but, having said all that...
I imported an iPhone with a damaged screen. Paid R500. Tax R1,200. I sent it back to customs saying it is for spare parts. Tax reduced to R12.
I bought a soft cover book for £0.99 and paid R20 tax... (???)
If I recall correctly, R800 for shoes and R400 tax
So I don't know what constitutes a tax charge but yeah, so far the broken iPhone was the only tech item I paid taxes on. Apart from that I only paid 50% tax on clothes and 110% tax on a second hand book.
No idea how that works... but no way in hell am I prepared to import big, heavy, expensive items cause my experience with tax is NOT 14%...it's 50 to 110%... So buy a PS4 for R4,000 and risk having to pay another R2,500 on arrival? I think not. I would much rather just save up and buy it locally or ask someone to bring me back one when they go overseas.
I used to import stuff all the time! eBay , like I said
A few years back, a mate of mine wanted an iPhone cable. We looked around and found prices ranging from R150 to R450 so I bought it on eBay and paid $2 for 2, instead. Got myself one as a spare, why not? $1 plus free shipping for an item that costs R450 at the iStore... Laughable.Import Tax: R0.
I bought 3 brand new and sealed ps3 games: Cost including shipping $37. Import Tax: R0
I bought a continuos flow ink system for my printer and later another one for my cousin. Around $35 each. Tax R0.
Bought a chip for my Wii: R150. Tax R0
Bought a battery pack for the ONE controller, R40. Tax R0.
Bought a power supply for the Kinect, paid R80. Tax R0.
Bought an FM transmitter for my iPhone to play my music through my car's radio without having to use wires. R30. Tax R0
...but, having said all that...
I imported an iPhone with a damaged screen. Paid R500. Tax R1,200. I sent it back to customs saying it is for spare parts. Tax reduced to R12.
I bought a soft cover book for £0.99 and paid R20 tax... (???)
If I recall correctly, R800 for shoes and R400 tax
So I don't know what constitutes a tax charge but yeah, so far the broken iPhone was the only tech item I paid taxes on. Apart from that I only paid 50% tax on clothes and 110% tax on a second hand book.
No idea how that works... but no way in hell am I prepared to import big, heavy, expensive items cause my experience with tax is NOT 14%...it's 50 to 110%... So buy a PS4 for R4,000 and risk having to pay another R2,500 on arrival? I think not. I would much rather just save up and buy it locally or ask someone to bring me back one when they go overseas.
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Grievous
New member
I didn't read you whole story, its was a tad long. But i can tell you specifically on the shoes, we have a large amount of tax to protect local industries, specially around clothing and textile. As for something not being charged tax, I don't believe they check everything, sometimes you get lucky.
Ask him to mark it as a "gift", then you shouldn't be taxed. Or that's what I've been told.