If you can afford to buy it, you can afford to pay someone to buy it for you. That's the maxim of South Africa's one-percenters who hire professional shoppers to satisfy their cravings for Zegna, Paul Smith, Patek Philippe and other luxury brands.
One of the companies that caters to the whims of the idle rich is Vogue Fox, run by Kara Fox, who trawls the malls for wealthy clients in need of R80,000 handbags and R70,000 shoes.
"The most expensive item I have ever been party to was an investment tanzanite for R560,000. People buy watches for insane amounts of money as investments too," said Fox.
The AfrAsia Bank Africa Wealth Report for 2017, which reviews the wealth sector in Africa, declared South Africa the most popular destination for the super-rich, with about 15,000 multimillionaires visiting per year.
According to the survey, South Africa's luxury brand market stood at R30-billion in 2016 - a mere sliver of the global personal luxury goods market, estimated by the Bain Worldwide Luxury Market Monitor at $284-billion (about R3.7-trillion), but still.
Although local figures show a slight drop from 2015, South Africa beats the rest of Africa when it comes to luxury sales.
South Africa's multimillionaires don't need to turn left towards first class when they board a plane because chances are they own it. A total of 160 South Africans have private jets. Another 420 charter them.
New World Wealth head researcher Andrew Amoils said the most coveted cars among South Africa's rich were the Mercedes-Benz GLE, Range Rover 5L, Porsche Cayenne Turbo and BMW X6."Also, wealthy people in South Africa like to buy local art, especially the likes of Irma Stern, Maggie Laubser, Pierneef, Alexis Preller, Gerard Sekoto and Hugo Naude," said Amoils.
Plush establishments like the Twelve Apostles hotel in Cape Town and Umhlanga's Oyster Box hotel may not have personal shoppers on their room service menu, but the concierge desks have a list of "go-to people", from jewellers and tailors to gemologists and wedding suppliers.
"Guests will request bespoke services or items. I don't think the brand or the price is an issue," said Joanne Hayes, spokeswoman for the Red Carnation group, which owns both hotels.
Sita Hiralal of The Style Network in Durban said interest in her recently launched Versace dinnerware and ornament range, which sell for "tens of thousands", was very high.
"Beauty, cars, jewellery and clothing show the status of success for people. South Africa is ready for anything at the moment," said Hiralal...