How to enjoy yourself while buying local

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newby_investor

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So I found myself toying with the idea of splurging on an X-Box Series S. It's about R7k most places I look.

But then the thought occurred to me. If I spend the money, it'll just go overseas to an Evil MegaCorp (TM), further fattening the pockets of Bill Gates etc etc.

While this may not be as morally repugnant as I jokingly make it out to be, the thought did occur to me to wonder whether there are local-is-lekker ways to spend my money and still have a good time. We could probably use a bit of extra effort to buoy the local economy.

Are there any local businesses making toys that one could entertain one's self with? I'm trying to keep the question open, not looking for anything in specific.

For example, I do know that there are a couple of local mountain bike brands (Pyga and Momsen). Their wares are a bit more pricy than my aforementioned X-box, but if one is interested in that sort of thing, it's a way to support local.

Anyone else know of other examples?
 
You realise the vast majority of the markup goes to local retail when you buy that Xbox right?

This obsession with local is Lekker, especially when it’s inferior, needs to end.

Buy products in merit, not where they come from.

Inversely the same is true when people want to dodge everything from China because it’s all allegedly rubbish and then spite their own face missing out on excellent products like Xiaomi etc.
 
SauRoNZA said:
You realise the vast majority of the markup goes to local retail when you buy that Xbox right?

This obsession with local is Lekker, especially when it’s inferior, needs to end.

Buy products in merit, not where they come from.

Inversely the same is true when people want to dodge everything from China because it’s all allegedly rubbish and then spite their own face missing out on excellent products like Xiaomi etc.
Click to expand...
Fair point, but I suspect that "vast majority" is probably a bit of an overstatement. If I head out to buy my XBox today then Massmart (or Incredible Connection or whoever) sees a nice profit. And as the owner of a couple of Xiaomi products, I also don't want to dodge stuff from China.

But we have people here in SA as well. Skilled people potentially doing cool things. What my aim was, is to try and raise awareness so that good stuff can be supported. Is that wrong?

I agree with you, inferior stuff needn't be highlighted, but surely we must have some good stuff on offer.
 
newby_investor said:
Fair point, but I suspect that "vast majority" is probably a bit of an overstatement. If I head out to buy my XBox today then Massmart (or Incredible Connection or whoever) sees a nice profit. And as the owner of a couple of Xiaomi products, I also don't want to dodge stuff from China.
Click to expand...
What about the people they employ, either directly or indirectly?

Remember this?

Massmart announced on Monday that it would be cutting up to 1,440 jobs as it struggles to keep sales up, a move that will affect its Dion Wired and Masscash stores countrywide.
Click to expand...
www.timeslive.co.za

What you need to know about Massmart job cuts

Dion Wired and Masscash stores will be affected by the job cuts
www.timeslive.co.za www.timeslive.co.za
 
Geez but you guys are downers. SA does make some good stuff.

The examples that I raised earlier are mountain bikes.
Pyga, based in Howick KZL https://sa.pygamountainbikes.com/

Momsen, from PE https://momsenbikes.com/

Surely there must be some other good stuff going on locally. Maybe I can try an activity that I wouldn't have thought of before.

(And FWIW @bwana, I've got nothing against Massmart, I spend my hard-earned cash there all the time, but my main concern in creating this thread wasn't to find out about local retailers. It's more about local (excellent) products that I may not know about.)
 
Can only talk about clothes..Buggered if I'll pay the same price or more for locally made when transport customs and VAT don't need to be paid on them .

Not talking about traditional clothing - that is stunning and can't be imported.
 
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newby_investor said:
But we have people here in SA as well. Skilled people potentially doing cool things. What my aim was, is to try and raise awareness so that good stuff can be supported. Is that wrong?

I agree with you, inferior stuff needn't be highlighted, but surely we must have some good stuff on offer.
Click to expand...

None of whom make Xboxes or any kind of comparable products so it was a weird example.

Buying local for alternative products is another story, but your post basically made it sound like we should find alternative hobbies with local origins.

And by “retail” I meant the entire chain of employment and related services who get paid every month because you bought the product there. Not just the margin that goes into Wallmart’s pockets.

I bet local is lekker doesn’t pay half as many people or near as well.
 
HunterNW said:
Local is kak except for meat and booze.
Click to expand...

Nambrew > SAB

To answer the OP, become a leather enthusiast. Develop leather-based kinks. Then ask one of our excellent local leather-working companies to manufacture your whips, harnesses, and gimp masks.
 
maumau said:
Can only talk about clothes..Buggered if I'll pay the same price or more for locally made when travel, customs and VAT don't need to be paid.

Not talking about traditional clothing - that is stunning and can't be imported.
Click to expand...
You talking about leopard skins and springbok g-strings ?
 
I tried to support more local products as the benefits of keeping the money in SA or even in your local community is obvious, and I do manage to find local people for most services that I require, but for general products or electronics there's nothing.

There's a marketing problem and even though we have stuff like Proudly South Africa campaign the last time I went on their website there was just some useless tourist stuff.
 
With Xbox money you can get a whole herd* of these.

images


* the correct collective term for giraffes is a tower of giraffes.
 
SauRoNZA said:
You realise the vast majority of the markup goes to local retail when you buy that Xbox right?

This obsession with local is Lekker, especially when it’s inferior, needs to end.

Buy products in merit, not where they come from.

Inversely the same is true when people want to dodge everything from China because it’s all allegedly rubbish and then spite their own face missing out on excellent products like Xiaomi etc.
Click to expand...
I sell myself to the cheapest supplier. If that is amazon, then that is it.
 
newby_investor said:
So I found myself toying with the idea of splurging on an X-Box Series S. It's about R7k most places I look.

But then the thought occurred to me. If I spend the money, it'll just go overseas to an Evil MegaCorp (TM), further fattening the pockets of Bill Gates etc etc.

While this may not be as morally repugnant as I jokingly make it out to be, the thought did occur to me to wonder whether there are local-is-lekker ways to spend my money and still have a good time. We could probably use a bit of extra effort to buoy the local economy.

Are there any local businesses making toys that one could entertain one's self with? I'm trying to keep the question open, not looking for anything in specific.

For example, I do know that there are a couple of local mountain bike brands (Pyga and Momsen). Their wares are a bit more pricy than my aforementioned X-box, but if one is interested in that sort of thing, it's a way to support local.

Anyone else know of other examples?
Click to expand...

I like the idea of supporting local, but there's just very little that's manufactured locally that I want. I know TekDesk and Sloom are local.

The best I can do is support smaller, more local, stores like butchers and fruit & veg shops instead of Food Lovers and (spit) Woolies. I support people who seem to treat their workers with respect.
 
arent Volkano products local?

The bluetooth speakers/headphones etc?

Other than that, im really struggling to think of local tech. I can just think of food, booze, tourism and so on.
 
The fact that all the clothing in our country is effectively 45% more expensive than it needs to be, is all the motivation I need to NOT support local. Our government imposed taxes to help the local textile industry and now everything is stupid expensive and the stuff you can buy from local isn't any cheaper either - they just boosted margins to match the international clothing.
 
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