How much does it cost to be one of South Africa’s Rich Kids?

While watching Rich Kids (S1-2 on Showmax), we took a peek at the price tag on the things we want most…

Before you start reading about these Rich Kids’ opulence, consider this: as of 2018, the average monthly take-home income in South Africa is around R14 000…

Gold phones, gold bars and even gold cars! There’s nothing that turns us greener than a R10 note (shame, we’re on a budget here), than browsing Instagram and seeing a photo of some guy having a swim in his home fish tank. To find out what it’s really like living in this world, try Rich Kids (2015-2016, Seasons 1 and 2 are now on Showmax). You might shake your head at these skhothanes pouring custard on the ground (if the custard is champagne and the ground is the marble bathtub in a golf estate McMansion) but we couldn’t help being fascinated by how South Africa’s 0.01 percent lives… and how much it costs.

Watch now »

1. The sneakers

We want it: Nape Phasha (Season 1, episode 1) is talking about his pash (read: passion) for sneakers and we flash past a pair of Christian Louboutin “Lois Spikes”, which are rather fanciable. They’re “one of” his favourite pairs – he wore them to go see Black Panther (2018) this February.
Cost: $1 295.00 on the official US website – or R15 151.
Average South African: R1 000 more than your entire month’s salary. Watch now »

2. The wheels

We want it: Trent Varejes (Season 1, episode 4) doesn’t even have his Matric certificate or a driver’s license yet, and his mom dresses him in clothes from Mr Price, but he does have access to a sweet, sweet X30 go-kart that we kind of want more than we want to be driven around in his daddy’s Ferrari or get flown around in his company plane. Trent comments that he can go through three to four sets of tyres per race meeting – at R2 000 per set.
Cost: R 75 000 for a Zanardi kart with X30 Shifter (on Gumtree) is fairly conservative.
Average South African: five-and-a-half months’ full salary for the go-kart alone. Watch now »

3. The wardrobe

We want it: Phindile Maphanga (Season 2, episode 3) has her glamorous event wardrobe custom-made by Sylvester Falata, who dresses songbird Lira. They’re fitted to Phindile’s B.O.D.Y, so she not only looks beautiful, she supports local talent too.
Cost: this one is as difficult as a restaurant menu without prices! Fabric and finish (especially beading) have a significant effect on costs – as does the designer’s reputation. While you’ll pay anywhere from R300 to R2 200 for designer ready-to-wear online, you’re looking at R50 000 to R80 000 for couture evening wear and bridal. As David Tlale once said, “My dream body to dress is anyone who can afford David Tlale.”
Average South African: all your courage (designers are by appointment only) and, oh, about, five full months’ salary. That’s one whole go-kart! Watch now »

4. The chef

We want it: keep your watches and handbags. In our luxury life, we want a personal chef like Louis Jr Tshakoane’s (Season 2, episode 4) Chef Dylan.
Cost: the average monthly salary for a private chef is R16 934, but Louis comments that he pays Dylan no less than R5 000 per meal.
Average South African: you would be paying about R3 000 per month more than you are bringing home – in total – and that’s for labour alone, not counting groceries, for the basic personal chef. If we hired Dylan, we’d have to live in the box our fridge came in. Watch now »

Fortunately, Showmax costs just R99 per month (standalone), R49 if you have a DStv Compact or Compact Plus account and zero if you’ve got a DStv Premium account – and the dreams cost nothing.

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Additional sources: BusinessTech.co.za, Indeed.co.za, Kart.co.za, KQMagazine.co.za, SowetanLive.co.za, TimesLive.co.za, Tradingeconomics.com, Vice.com.