Apple’s new iPhone 16e, which was announced on Thursday morning and which costs US$599 for the base model with 128GB of storage, will be priced from R15 999 in South Africa.
That’s roughly in line with the pricing for other iPhone models in South Africa, according to a TechCentral analysis of current iPhone pricing through iStore, the technology retailer owned by South African Apple distributor Core Group.
The base iPhone Pro 16 costs R25 999 in South Africa, or 26x the dollar price on the Apple US website. The base iPhone 16, meanwhile, retails for R19 999 through iStore and $799 in the US, translating into a 25x multiple from dollar to rand. For the base-model iPhone 16e, the ratio is slightly higher, at 26.6x. The rand was trading on Thursday afternoon at R18.50/$.
It should be noted, however, that the US pricing excludes general sales tax, which is levied at different rates depending on the state. In South Africa, the price includes import duties and ad valorem (luxury) taxes as well as VAT, which is levied at 15%.
The 256GB model of iPhone 16e line-up will cost R19 499 (27.9x the US pricing), while the top-end 256GB model will cost R24 999 (27.8x).
The iPhone 16e will be available for pre-order this Friday, 21 February, and will go on sale in stores on Friday, 28 February. This means South African consumers can get their hands on the new model at the same time as major markets like the US.
The new Apple smartphone replaces the iPhone SE, which had cost $429, which currently costs R11 999 through iStore, or 28x the dollar price.
iPhone 16e specs
Apple modernised the iPhone 16e by removing the now-antiquated home button found on the SE and adding a larger screen with Face ID. The model has a 48-megapixel rear camera, the same A18 chip as the iPhone 16 and a USB-C charging port. It also runs the company’s artificial intelligence software, called Apple Intelligence.
The debut is the first of several iPhone design changes slated for this year, with Apple also planning a new, skinnier version. The company’s smartphone business could use a boost. Sales fell about 1% in the holiday quarter, when the iPhone 16 failed to entice shoppers.
Read: iPhone lost ground to Android in 2024
China has been a particular weak spot. Apple’s overall sales fell 11% in the country last quarter, where it’s losing ground to local players like Huawei Technologies and Xiaomi.
The device comes in options with 128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage, as well as white and black colours. – © 2025 NewsCentral Media, with additional reporting by Mark Gurman, © 2025 Bloomberg LP
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