Chante Hohip8 May 2025 | 16:08

Pink Tax: The cost of being a woman and why you should #BuyMens

Why are women charged more than men for everyday essentials such as toiletries and clothing?

Pink Tax: The cost of being a woman and why you should #BuyMens

Photo: Unsplash/Pablo Hernández

702’s Relebogile Mabotja speaks with Buli Ndlovu, Executive for Retail and Business Banking Marketing for Nedbank.

Listen below:

The gender price trap or ‘pink tax’ refers to the phenomenon where women are charged more than men for everyday essentials, such as toiletries and clothing.

Nedbank’s #BuyMens campaign spotlights this inequity, encouraging consumers to reevaluate how products are marketed and priced, and equips women with insights to make smarter buying decisions. 

“Over time, these price differences compound, ultimately placing a heavier financial burden on women.” 
– Buli Ndlovu, Executive for Retail and Business Banking Marketing - Nedbank

Ndlovu encourages consumers to actively pay attention to pricing in store, take stock of the packaging, and how it is marketed.

And don’t be afraid to make noise about it!

“The issue is that this has gone largely unnoticed and unchallenged. It’s hiding in plain sight, so most people assume the pricing difference is due to quality… there’s very little consumer education.” 
– Buli Ndlovu, Executive for Retail and Business Banking Marketing - Nedbank
“When consumers are primed to believe a product is tailored for them, they are less likely to then compare prices objectively.” 
– Buli Ndlovu, Executive for Retail and Business Banking Marketing - Nedbank

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.