Apple has made an iPhone that folds, and South Africans can now pre-order one. iStore, Apple's local reseller, lists the Duo from R47,999 for 256GB, rising to R76,999 for the 2TB version, with shipping quoted at one to two weeks. That top model is the most expensive iPhone in the reseller's range, and even the entry Duo costs about two-thirds more than an iPhone 18 Pro, which starts at R28,799.
The two models in between cost R52,999 for 512GB and R62,499 for 1TB. At the top end, the 2TB Duo costs R17,000 more than a 2TB iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is itself no bargain at R59,999.
How the 27% is worked out
Apple's US store sells the base Duo for $1,999. Turn that into rand at about R16.46 to the dollar, add South Africa's 15% VAT, and you land at about R37,800.
It costs R47,999 here instead, roughly 27% more, and TechCentral found the gap is similar across all four storage sizes. That comparison overstates the gap, though, because US prices are shown before sales tax, which varies from state to state.
A bigger markup than Apple's other new kit
Some premium over a straight conversion is normal. Local prices carry a margin for currency swings and for the cost of getting stock into the country. Apple's new HomeView display and the new Apple TV 4K, both $299 in the US, carry a local premium of about 11% worked out the same way, and the HomePod mini 2 speaker about 24%. The Duo's is more than double the premium on the display and the TV box.
Those are the cheaper way into Apple's latest launch. HomeView, a 7-inch screen that hangs on a wall or sits on a table and runs the home, is built around Apple's upgraded Siri, which works in South Africa. It and the Apple TV 4K cost R6,299 each and ship from 13 November, and the HomePod mini 2 sells for R3,499 from 30 October. The previous Apple TV 4K, the 2022 model, stays on sale from R4,199.
The Duo did come in below what TechCentral expected. In September its estimate had the base model above R50,000 and the 2TB above R80,000. Nobody has yet published how many South Africans are paying the real price.
