Cape Town Man Blasts Retail Store Selling R99 350g Cottage Pie: “Please Explain to Me”

• Bjorn Coetzee, a local shopper from Cape Town, was in disbelief when he saw a 350g cottage pie from Woolworths costing R99
• The man wanted to know how the company's pricing strategy worked, which is known to be controversial
• Some social media users sided with the frustrated Bjorn, while others saw no problem with the store's price

A Cape Town man, Bjorn Coetzee, was utterly appalled after seeing that Woolworths sold a 350g cottage pie for R99. After venting about the price online, some people surprisingly disagreed with him.

Bjorn took to his TikTok account on 27 August, 2025 to show the small and expensive meal he bought, which he said he felt guilty about putting back in the fridge after reaching the till.

Addressing Woolworths, which is known for its controversial prices, a frustrated Bjorn remarked:

"Please explain to me how your pricing strategy works, that you're charging R99 and 99c for a small cottage pie like this. Do you know how many cottage pies I can make for R100?"

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Price of cottage pie splits South Africans

While Bjorn's complaints about the price were supported by a few local shoppers, others defended the cost of the Woolworths meal.

@lebo6214 shared their opinion with the man:

"You are not the target market! Pick n Pay, SPAR, or Checkers sell at your ideal price. Woolies does not have a monopoly, and thus you have a choice to purchase from any store."

@tash4047 said with a laugh:

"My mother, who literally owns a company and is making a bucket load of money, refused to buy the caramel cake at Woolworths because it’s literally over R200 for a small cake. That’s how you know stuff is expensive, when people who make money don’t even want to buy there."

@tiktokuser5555548 told Bjorn and the online community:

"I only shop for lamb bones, dumplings and venison patties at Woolies now. Everything has gotten so expensive. Have you seen the price of lean mince?"

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@2muchsauce2017 wrote in the comment section:

"It's called convenience, bro. Labour and overheads are expensive."

@dulcieperkins1 gave their take on the prices:

"Woolworths prices have gone through the roof. You might as well go to a restaurant for a full meal."

@bradrossouw4, who seemed to be an employee at the store, added in the comments:

"Customers always come to me about our prices. Woolworths is very expensive, but the quality is good. We try our very best to make the customer happy, but you can’t please everybody."

Watch the man's venting session in the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about Woolworths

• In another story, Briefly News reported that a Redditor showed a picture of a Woolworths chocolate doughnut made in Spain, sold in Cape Town. Some people defended the imported bakery item.
• A viral video captured a shopper's comical reaction to the high cost of Lindt's Dubai-style chocolate sold at Woolworths. The price left social media users responding in disbelief.
• Imported slices of mango with a price tag of R68.99 split people on the internet. While the cost shocked some individuals, others said the convenience and quality justified the price.

Source: Briefly News