- Kasi Economy shared photos of container bachelor apartments in Johannesburg on 23 October 2026
- The units, located near Jeppe police station, sparked a heated debate about affordable housing in South Africa
- South Africans questioned whether the price was worth it, considering residents would need to adjust to container-style living
A Facebook page popular for spotlighting township economic life has stirred up a storm online after sharing photos of container apartments in Johannesburg, listed for thousands of rand per month for a bachelor unit.
Source: UGC
Kasi Economy posted the images on 23 October 2026, showing a colourful multi-storey building made up of repurposed shipping containers near the Maboneng area of Jozi. The post attracted hundreds of reactions, with South Africans divided over whether the price tag is a bargain or an outright rip-off.
According to BusinessTech container-style living is not entirely new to Johannesburg. Similar developments have previously been listed at around R4,900 a month in 2017. It made the alleged R7,500 figure a noticeable jump for units that many online commenters said were designed for storage, not people.
The post by Kasi Economy tapped into a raw nerve for many South Africans grappling with rising rental costs and a shrinking pool of affordable accommodation in major cities. The proximity to Jeppe police station drew one comment that leaned into the irony of the location as a selling point. The debate ranged from genuine concern about housing standards to outright disbelief at the pricing. See the post below:
Mzansi reacts to container flats
South Africans flooded the comments on Kasi Economy's post with their thoughts:
Edwin Steynberg said:
"At least they're safe. Right next to Jeppe police station. So it will take them just 30 min to reach you."
Mokoena Rethabile Thamsanqa TheoDoore wrote:
"Does R7500 include monthly groceries and toiletries or is it just for steel covered with wood inside?"
Henry Baba Wami Mngomezulu said:
"Overpriced! First of all, those 'units' were not designed for human settlements."
Sibusiso Kenqu replied:
"Maybe you wanted to say R750."
Vadda Meki commented:
"R7.5K for a shack?"
Lesego Huma ZA wrote:
"That's a price for a bond."
Kabelo Keabetswe Malema added:
"South Africa is slowly becoming Hong Kong."
Pharrel Matroos noted:
"I was staying opposite these flats in 2021. It was green then, or is this AI colouring? Jozi Maboneng."
Tay Sibeko asked:
"Wait, did you say 7500 rands for a bachelor container?"
Other Briefly News stories about South African rental market trends
- A micro-apartment listing in Pretoria going for a steep R20,000 per month for just 28 square metres went viral as social media users heavily criticised the exorbitant pricing.
- TikTok content creator Shirley @shirleya.brown inspired social media users after documenting her journey of building her own apartment unit from the ground up at 21 years old.
- A viral TikTok video posted by @rv__nessa highlighted a bachelor apartment listing in Edenvale, Johannesburg, asking for over R5,000 per month.
Source: Briefly News
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