A new iPhone 15 Pro Max sits above R25,000 at South African retail. The same handset, pre owned and graded, sells for around R19,000. Go back two generations and the gap widens further: an iPhone 13 that launched near R18,000 now trades around R8,000.
That is the appeal. The problem is that "used iPhone" describes both a lightly handled trade in and a water damaged handset with a swollen battery, and most listings do not tell you which one you are looking at.
This guide covers what actually separates a safe purchase from a risky one when buying pre owned iPhones in South Africa, and what each model realistically costs right now.
The grade is the most important number on the listing
Reputable sellers grade every handset. A grade is a stated, consistent description of cosmetic condition, applied after testing. It is the difference between a described product and a photograph with the word "excellent" next to it.
The four grade system used by TechMarkit works like this:
| Grade | Condition |
|---|---|
| A+ | Near mint. Difficult to distinguish from new without close inspection. |
| A | Light wear. Small marks, mostly invisible in a case. |
| B | Visible cosmetic wear. Fully functional. |
| C | Heavier cosmetic wear. Fully functional. Lowest price for a given model. |
The critical point most buyers miss: the grade describes cosmetics, not function. A Grade B iPhone 13 and a Grade A iPhone 13 are the same phone, tested to the same standard, sold with the same warranty. You are paying the difference for scratches that disappear the moment you put a case on it.
For most people, Grade B is the correct choice. It is usually R300 to R800 cheaper than Grade A on the same model.
What to spend, by model
Prices below are entry points at the time of writing. Stock on pre owned iPhones is individual traded in units, so specific colours and storage sizes move quickly.
iPhone SE, from about R5,749
The only current option with a home button and Touch ID. The third generation SE runs the A15 chip, which is faster than the processor in the iPhone 12, in a 4.7 inch body. Buy this if you want a small phone, you prefer a fingerprint sensor to Face ID, or you want current generation performance at the bottom of the price range.
Browse the range: pre owned iPhone SE models
iPhone 11, from about R5,499
The cheapest route to 128GB of storage. LCD rather than OLED, and no 5G, but the A13 chip still handles banking apps, navigation, video and everything else most people do daily. A sensible choice if storage matters to you more than screen quality.
Browse the range: second hand iPhone 11 models
iPhone 12, from about R5,399
The best value bracket in the whole pre owned market right now. The iPhone 12 brought OLED, 5G and the A14 chip, and it still receives current iOS updates.
Two things to know. The iPhone 12 Mini is a 5.4 inch handset and it sits at the bottom of this price range, so it appears first when you sort by price. It is a good phone if you specifically want something small, but its battery is noticeably shorter than the standard model. The regular 6.1 inch iPhone 12 starts a few hundred rand higher and is the one most buyers actually want.
The iPhone 12 Pro adds a telephoto lens, LiDAR and a stainless steel frame, and runs closer to R9,500 in 256GB.
Browse the range: refurbished iPhone 12 models
iPhone 13, from about R7,999
The strongest buy on this list. The 13 introduced the sensor shift stabilised camera and a materially better battery than the 12, and it is the point at which a pre owned iPhone stops feeling like a compromise. A Grade B 128GB model sits near R8,000. The 13 Pro, with its 120Hz ProMotion display and three lens camera, runs around R11,000.
Browse the range: pre owned iPhone 13 models
iPhone 14, from about R11,499
Crash Detection, Emergency SOS and better low light photography. The 14 Pro is where the 48MP main sensor and the always on display arrive, and at roughly R12,000 for a 128GB Grade B unit it carries the best specification per rand of anything here. The 14 Pro Max, at around R14,500, gives you a 6.7 inch display and the largest battery Apple shipped that generation.
Browse the range: used iPhone 14 models
iPhone 15, from about R18,999
Titanium frame, USB-C charging and 5x optical zoom on the Pro Max. Around R6,000 to R7,000 below new retail for a Grade A unit. Worth it if you want current generation hardware and you intend to keep the phone for three or more years.
Browse the range: pre owned iPhone 15 models
Five checks before you pay
These apply anywhere you buy, not just at one retailer.
1. Confirm the warranty in writing. "Tested and working" is not a warranty. You want a stated period and a stated process. TechMarkit lists up to a two year warranty depending on the model, which is longer than most new Android handsets carry locally.
2. Ask whether iCloud activation lock has been removed. A handset still linked to a previous owner's Apple ID cannot be set up. It is a paperweight. This is the single most common way people lose money on private sales.
3. Check the return window. A 14 day return policy gives you time to actually use the phone rather than inspect it for two minutes in a parking lot.
4. Read the grade, not the photos. Stock photography is standard across pre owned listings because every unit is physically different. The grade and the written condition description are the honest part of the page.
5. Confirm what is in the box. Most pre owned iPhones ship with a charging cable and no wall adapter, because Apple stopped including one. Budget for it if you need one.
Where to buy pre owned iPhones in South Africa
Private sales through classifieds are cheapest and carry no recourse. Carrier upgrade deals bundle the handset into a contract and usually cost more in total. Graded retail sits in between: you pay slightly above private sale pricing and you get testing, a grade, a warranty and a return window.
TechMarkit operates from Johannesburg and Pretoria, grades and tests every handset, offers free delivery on orders over R649, and runs a 14 day return policy. The full pre owned iPhone range is filtered to show only units physically in stock, so nothing you click through to has already sold.
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