PS4 --> $399 --> R6299
then how much will the XboxOne cost?
Xbox --> $499 --> ~R7500? :wtf:
In the interest of transparency, I will state upfront that Ster Kinekor is a client of mine, and I am professionally involved in PlayStation South Africa's marketing and PR initiatives. Having said that, the following is my personal take on the situation, and I am not speaking as a PlayStation on Ster Kinekor representative here.
There are two very important things to keep in mind:
1) Ster Kinekor does not import consoles from the US. If you want to compare, the correct angle would be to look at UK pricing, because our market is tied to it/Europe. In the UK, we're looking at a a launch price of £349 -> R5,617 at today's exchange rate. Add 14% VAT and we have a total cost of R6,403 per PlayStation 4 being sold in South Africa. SK has undercut this by R100, so I don't think we have room to complain here.
2) Consoles are cheaper in the US than they are in Europe and the UK. Most consumer electronics are, and this is simply due to population and business scalability. Anyone who complains about this simply does not understand basic economics. Price is dictated by demand, which is linked to the size and spending power of your market.
All things considered, I think the price is spot-on. It's inline with UK pricing, and cheaper than a Samsung Galaxy S4. Sure, it's a lot of cash for most people living in SA, but SA is a developing economy, and that is simply one of the prices we pay for living here.