Gadgets8.05.2025

Best TVs under R5,000 in South Africa

R5,000 is plenty of money to buy a great TV in South Africa in May 2025.

MyBroadband recently searched through the online catalogues of the country’s major TV retailers and was impressed with the specifications and capabilities at this price point.

We found several models with 50-inch display sizes and support for 4K or Ultra High Definition resolution.

The best of the bunch was the JVC LT50NQ7115C, which was selling for R4,999 from Amazon.co.za and Takealot at the time of publication.

This TV has a 4.6 out of 5 rating from 86 Takealot customers, suggesting that the majority of its buyers have been very happy with it.

This TV not only boasts a 50-inch screen and 4K resolution but also has QLED backlighting.

QLED TVs are a type of LCD TV that uses numerous quantum dots providing backlighting for groups of pixels.

While not as good as OLED, which has individually lit pixels, it produces more vibrant and accurate colours with a higher contrast range than basic LED-backlit LCD TVs.

This particular JVC model also has Android 9.0 Pie built-in, so there would be no need to buy a separate streaming box or stick to use most video streaming apps apps.

However, it should be emphasised that this is not as up-to-date as Android TV, which means certain apps may not be supported. According to one reviewer, DStv Stream is not supported on this OS.

They also surmised that the TV cannot support 4K inputs from external devices like the latest video game consoles or a third-party streaming box.

However, it seems unlikely that this is the case, as the oldest HDMI standard to support 4K was released in 2009.

One possibility is that the reviewer was using a standard or high-speed HDMI cable and not a premium high-speed HDMI cable.

These two cables would cap a user’s resolution at 1080i and 30Hz or 1080p and 60Hz, respectively.

Another brand that sells a 50-inch 4K Android Smart TV for under R5,000 is Sinotec. At the time of publication, this model was also available for R4,999 from Makro.

While it loses out to the JVC model with more basic backlighting technology, its price is highly competitive compared to models from major brands.

Another 50-inch option

In general, South Africans in the market for an affordable TV should exercise caution when choosing more affordable brands.

A recent MyBroadband investigation found that Makro’s online marketplace was selling various TVs from lesser-known brands falsely advertising Full HD or 4K support.

Several such manufacturers were also selling 50-inch TVs for less than R5,000. Most of these models were advertised with a Full HD resolution, but that may not be their actual capability.

The only model advertised with a 4K resolution in its title was the Condere Plus. However, delving into the specifications of this TV in its description on multiple storefronts reveals its maximum resolution is actually Full HD.

For those who just want a 4K TV at the best price, Amazon.co.za was selling a 43-inch JVC model for R4,024 at the time of publication.

When MyBroadband previously looked at the most affordable 4K TVs in the country in February 2024, we found the cheapest was a 43-inch TCL model for R4,499.

There were also no 50-inch models available for under R5,000 in that analysis.

That could suggest that the gradual decline in prices of large screen TVs has continued from previous years.

Below are five of the best TVs priced under R5,000 in South Africa in May 2025.