With only 24 days till kick-off, do you have your official supporters' kit yet? Workers at the factory that produces the official Bafana Bafana replica jerseys reckon the shirts are too expensive to buy from licensed retailers - especially since they only cost about R150 to make. Meanwhile, counterfeits are clearly streaming in thick and fast with SARS seizing a major haul last week. Even Sactwu's general secretary calls the price of the official gear (at R600) "a disservice" to local supporters. An anonymous comment on fellow Bizcommunity.com editor Sindy Peters' column addressing the issue of fake goods said that the average SA family with an income of R3000 per month just can't afford it: "Where do you think he is going to get R599.00 to buy one shirt, with this amount he can buy 4 Fong Kongs and have R200 change. [sic]" In a similar vein, Jacquie Myburgh proposed the catch-22 that "high prices make us fake" - that it's the enormous cost of luxury branded goods that is driving the counterfeit goods industry while Joe and Jane Soap try to keep up with the Jones'. So what do you think? Are we paying too much for official gear? [Vote in our poll]

Shan Radcliffe, Retail editor
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Image courtesy of Buanews.gov.za.