South Africa, 2025
This post isn’t for the well-heeled, the influencers, or those who think nothing of splashing out on sushi nights and spontaneous weekends away. It’s for the rest of us—ordinary South Africans navigating tough economic times, counting every rand, and trying to get real value from what we buy.
But here’s the thing: how often do you spend money on something that turns out to be a complete waste? A product that doesn’t work. A service that has to be redone. Something you were hoping would make life easier but ends up in the bin—or worse, costing you more to fix.
Let me give you a few small but telling examples from my own life.
A Dollop of Disappointment
Not long ago, I bought some tartar sauce from a local fisheries. I was dreaming of pairing it with air-fried fish—easy meal, tasty result. But the sauce was awful. Unusable. I’d bought two tubs, and now one is in the bin. It’s a tiny waste, sure. But it adds up.
Rooftop Regrets
Then there was the “roofing specialist” I hired to fix a leak above the bathroom. The job was so bad, I had to hire someone else to redo it. That second contractor also messed up—his worker failed to seal a section properly, and the rain came in again. At least that part got fixed without additional cost the second time, but by then, I’d already spent too much.
The Useless Salt Cellar
In the Cape, winter moisture is no joke—salt clumps, shakers block. So I bought a salt cellar with a stainless steel lid, hoping it would do better. But the grains get stuck in the twist-top mechanism, making it nearly impossible to use. Another small, annoying waste.
Little Losses, Big Picture
Individually, these examples seem minor. But think about how many times a year you throw out food that tastes terrible, or deal with shoddy service that requires expensive rework. It all adds up—and in these times, it really stings.
What’s more worrying is that many South Africans are buying essentials—food—on credit. That’s how tight things are. So waste, even in small doses, matters.
What Can We Do About It?
I looked for local stats on how much South Africans lose each year to poor-quality products and services. Sadly, there’s no solid data—just vague references to the Consumer Protection Act. But if we were to track this in our own lives, we might be shocked by how much slips through our fingers.
So how do we avoid it?
We can’t entirely. But we can be more careful. These days, I try to be more circumspect. I read reviews, do a bit of research, and avoid impulse buys—especially with anything over R100. Yes, it takes more time. Yes, sometimes I still get it wrong. But it’s better than piling up yet another shelf of regrets.
Your Turn
Have you been in the same boat? What’s the last thing you bought that turned out to be a waste? Or a service you paid for that let you down? I’d love to hear about it—drop a comment or email me.
Maybe if enough of us talk about it, we’ll start holding suppliers and service providers more accountable. Or at the very least, we’ll save each other a bit of money.
