With Apple’s recent price hikes in the US due to soaring RAM and storage costs, South Africans may want to purchase Apple devices now before similar increases hit local markets. Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
Image: Picture: Michael Sherman/IOL
I generally avoid saying that now is the perfect time to buy a particular product because it can sound like you’re pushing a brand. But when it comes to Apple devices in South Africa, it may actually be true.
Last week, Apple increased prices across its product range in the United States, and those hikes could make their way to South Africa sooner rather than later.
Until now, Apple had largely been insulated from the surge in RAM and storage component prices, which have soared as AI features demand more powerful hardware.
For example on Apple.com, the price of the 15-inch MacBook Air has increased by $100 (about R1,600), while the Mac mini now costs $200 (around R3,200) more.
Meanwhile, the four-year-old Apple TV has jumped by $70 (roughly R1,150) — an eye-watering increase of 54%. The 2022 model currently starts at R2,999 in South Africa, meaning it could easily cost more than R4,000 locally if similar increases are introduced. It’s difficult to justify paying that much more for a streaming device that hasn’t been updated in nearly half a decade.
Historically, Apple’s upgrade prices for RAM and SSD storage have always been on the expensive side, but that’s not really the point. What matters is that those upgrade prices have generally remained consistent over the last couple years because Apple designs its own Unified Memory and SSD storage.
According to Resellcalendar.com, RAM prices surged by 171% during the third quarter of 2025 alone.
If Apple passes these higher component costs on to South African consumers, today’s prices could soon look like a bargain.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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