Can somebody post pictures of what a typical Lower Middle Class Home, a Middle Class home and a Upper Middle class home in South Africa looks like?

Thank you

This is my interpretation of Lower Middle, Middle and Upper Middle class
* This might be biased since i'm Middle class

Lower Middle
http://www.lacndb.com/php/America/Bonnano%20House%20in%20Tucson.jpg

Middle class
http://www.4321.co.il/property//photographs1/m365378975.jpg

Upper Middle (usually in golf estates)
http://www.env.co.za/brochureimages/medium/propimage24969_3.jpg

I was wondering this too. Thanks for posting the photos!

This is my interpretation of Lower Middle, Middle and Upper Middle class

Upper Middle (usually in golf estates)
http://www.env.co.za/brochureimages/medium/propimage24969_3.jpg

And fucking ugly as well... as is usually the case! :lol:

Any more examples?

Its very difficult because its varies so much from city to city and even suburb to suburb/

An depending on - I presume - house prices?

That middle class house looks like an upper middle class house to me...

Some upper middle class houses appear in the 'home & architecture' thread.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv4/ben-ami/me.jpg
This is very tricky, because being in a social class depends on your education, accent, financial situation and the area you live in. Although the suburb and car are not always class related ... your accent, education and financial strength are and the higher up the class rung you are placed ... your family and connections are what is required. Without them, you might have arrived on the scene financialy speaking, but you not welcome in the club. Oh, but that is only for everything outside Cape Town. Cape Town is just one class ... Snob class. We have it all, we know it ... and we got darn good taste in style.

lol wow is it really like that?!

We have it all, we know it ... and we got darn good taste in style.

Hold on just one second...

http://www.amethyst.co.za/CapeTown/DisaPark.jpg

AHEM :puke:

ilan,you make it sound like Manhattan...which it isn't.

SA actually has a very small middle class. Only a small fraction of the 'black diamonds' really falls under 'middle class'. Most black diamonds earn less than R10 000 pm, and are unable to afford a middle class home, which costs around R750 000. One would probably need a monthly earning of about R20 000.
I reckon a middle class salary starts at R15 000 pm, which would exclude like 80% of the population?

What is a "black diamond"?

Those houses match their descriptions to me...

Your house doesn't really define your class. Some Middle income houses look like Upper Middle, but the people bought it with a loan and some Middle income houses look like Lower middle houses. Meaning that the people either paid off all loans or like to travel etc.
A more accurate definition would be according to salary..

In my personal experience:

Lower middle: R 17000-R30000
Middle: R30000-R60000
Upper Middle: R60000-R150000


*p/m gross salary

OK no, lol. I think those salaries are quite exaggerated.

Hold on just one second...

http://www.amethyst.co.za/CapeTown/DisaPark.jpg

AHEM :puke:

They are the mother cities tampons ... ur- so there ... now don't you go flaunting mothers tampons all over the internet. You know, I actually lived in those at one time. They have great views, tennis courts and a nice big pool ... did I mention the views? Lovely gardens, oh I could go on and on and on... they could look so stunning if they had a face lift. I really do like them. Sigh.

ilan,you make it sound like Manhattan...which it isn't.

Are you out of your mind? Manhatten! No, you need to reduce your intake of Prozac ... Cape Town is way better ... and it's not in the USA. I would be so ashamed of myself if I was living in the USA.

Are you out of your mind? Manhatten! No, you need to reduce your intake of Prozac ... Cape Town is way better ... and it's not in the USA. I would be so ashamed of myself if I was living in the USA.

What's wrong with being American?:moods:

Your house doesn't really define your class. Some Middle income houses look like Upper Middle, but the people bought it with a loan and some Middle income houses look like Lower middle houses. Meaning that the people either paid off all loans or like to travel etc.
A more accurate definition would be according to salary..

In my personal experience:

Lower middle: R 17000-R30000
Middle: R30000-R60000
Upper Middle: R60000-R150000


*p/m gross salary

(upper) middle class earns 150000 a month??? Really?

http://www.smiliez.nl/smiliez/auto/u9.gif

You pay 80% to the government so your "streets can be cleaned" ;)

OK no, lol. I think those salaries are quite exaggerated.

Really? :nuts:

I based it mostly out of what we earned through my life. (We advanced from dirt poor- lower middle - Middle:colgate:)

If you have a better representation, then post it. :D

what?

(upper) middle class earns 150000 a month??? Really?

http://www.smiliez.nl/smiliez/auto/u9.gif

you forgot to add the size of the family to that quote 1 kid vs 5 kids makes a big difference

This is very tricky, because being in a social class depends on your education, accent, financial situation and the area you live in. Although the suburb and car are not always class related ... your accent, education and financial strength are and the higher up the class rung you are placed ... your family and connections are what is required. Without them, you might have arrived on the scene financialy speaking, but you not welcome in the club. Oh, but that is only for everything outside Cape Town. Cape Town is just one class ... Snob class. We have it all, we know it ... and we got darn good taste in style.

Are you out of your mind? Manhatten! No, you need to reduce your intake of Prozac ... Cape Town is way better ... and it's not in the USA. I would be so ashamed of myself if I was living in the USA.

Both these posts made me lol. Yes those Cape Flats and scummy apartments in Seapoint (I should know, I've stayed in a few), to name but a small amount are the height of snobbiness.

Oh and that second statement clearly shows you've NEVER been to NYC. I'd be surprised to hear that you've even been out of the country :lol: :lol: :lol:

you forgot to add the size of the family to that quote 1 kid vs 5 kids makes a big difference

Actually, I was thinking income based on one salary. But I guess, this post wasn't to be interpreted that way?

Lower middle: R 17000-R30000
Middle: R30000-R60000
Upper Middle: R60000-R150000


*p/m gross salary

its more like this kiddo..

Lower middle: R 5000-R10000
Middle: R10000-R25000
Upper Middle: R25000-R60000
Lani's R60k+

Phew! Okay, now I am upper middle again (by quite a safe margin). How many people in SA fall into this category, by the way?

Not many.

Phew! Okay, now I am upper middle again (by quite a safe margin). How many people in SA fall into this category, by the way?

i would hope so, you be packing Euros.. think the middle class is rather small, most ppl are either super rich or super poor, but the middle class is growing which is great.

Well, I am a single guy. If I would have a partner with only half my income, I would easily be a LANI :cheers: (whatever the hell that is).

It takes more than a delusionary salary to be a larnie.One must be incredibly braggart and not to mention a snob of gigantic proportions.Convertible sportscar comes standard.

lanis bru, jislike, all kinds of looking down on others. got to luf it.

its more like this kiddo..

Lower middle: R 5000-R10000
Middle: R10000-R25000
Upper Middle: R25000-R60000
Lani's R60k+

So what? I'm Lani? I don't think so (though it'd be cool)
The Middle class really isn't that poor. R5000? Thats what we get from our secondary income..

Johan, are you not a student? are you earning more than R60k in your first yr of employment, do you have a ANC honors degree or something? 60k p/m is 720k gross, with a decent bonus you are touching a bar a yr. that aint no middle class son.

I see this house that is regarded as lower MC would be regarded by many in Europe as a great luxuary ... free standing, with garden all around. You should see the crap you get here in The Netherlands for good money. A single free standing is almost unheard of, even though we live in a suburb with free standing houses, the majority of people live in semi-detatched and row-housing with a garden the size of postage stamp.

http://www.lacndb.com/php/America/Bonnano%20House%20in%20Tucson.jpg

I see this house that is regarded as lower MC would be regarded by many in Europe as a great luxuary ... free standing, with garden all around. You should see the crap you get here in The Netherlands for good money. A single free standing is almost unheard of, even though we live in a suburb with free standing houses, the majority of people live in semi-detatched and row-housing with a garden the size of postage stamp.

http://www.lacndb.com/php/America/Bonnano%20House%20in%20Tucson.jpg

True. We are not alone in this however.

We have space, they don't. We have cheap land, they don't. We have sun, they don't. :)

Okay, okay, you don't have to rub it in. :lol:

Johan, are you not a student? are you earning more than R60k in your first yr of employment, do you have a ANC honors degree or something? 60k p/m is 720k gross, with a decent bonus you are touching a bar a yr. that aint no middle class son.

I'm 16, my dad earns that much..

We are heavily indebted though, we have like loans that total R1,2 mil. But we always end up in the green :colgate:

And R60000 is our gross income. We still have to pay 40% for taxes.

thats a good salary. if he did not have debt he would be all kinds of lani. BTW tax sux big time.

I'm 16, my dad earns that much..

We are heavily indebted though, we have like loans that total R1,2 mil. But we always end up in the green :colgate:

And R60000 is our gross income. We still have to pay 40% for taxes.

My income is slightly less, but I have a bigger mortgage. I gues it's around 1.6 mln Rand. I can't complain however. I can eat out anytime I like, go on holiday any time I like. I guess maybe we have lower mortgage rates in The Netherlands.

http://i664.photobucket.com/albums/vv4/ben-ami/people1.jpg
What I really like about The Netherlands is the way the "class system" is mixed up. For sure you get areas that are very up-market and there is no way a lower income group will live near enough to effect the exclusive tag of the area, but those areas are limited to a few exceptions. Most suburbs are planned with a good healthy mix. The good side of socialism in action.

My income is slightly less, but I have a bigger mortgage. I gues it's around 1.6 mln Rand. I can't complain however. I can eat out anytime I like, go on holiday any time I like. I guess maybe we have lower mortgage rates in The Netherlands.

I think the mortgage rate is higher. I mean our budget is a lot tighter. Wish we were as free and flexible as Freki.

This is my interpretation of Lower Middle, Middle and Upper Middle class
* This might be biased since i'm Middle class

Lower Middle
http://www.lacndb.com/php/America/Bonnano%20House%20in%20Tucson.jpg

Middle class
http://www.4321.co.il/property//photographs1/m365378975.jpg



OMG, I impress how close Uruguay and South Africa are .You can see the same kind of houses in many neighborhood in Montevideo and the suburban area like la Ciudad de la Costa de oro.The first one are the tipical middle class house. The second are found in many beach stations.