The best mid-range (R15k) PC on the market in SA is not a Windows device
Here is the best mid-range PC under R15,000 in SA, the Mac mini which offers superior performance, user-friendly macOS 26, and exceptional capabilities for video editing and more, despite its 256GB SSD limitation. Picture: Apple
Image: Apple
It was certainly not the case 10 years ago, but Apple is becoming increasingly relevant in the lower end of the personal computing market, and the Mac mini is perhaps the best example of this.
Coming in at R13,999 (or as low as R11,999 on sale on Amazon.co.za) for the latest M4 chip with 16GB of unified memory, a 10-core CPU, and a 10-core GPU, the only shortcoming is the 256GB SSD.
However, since the Mac mini requires external power like any desktop computer, attaching external storage is a simple solution.
What you get with the cheapest configuration of the Mac mini is quite incredible. Here you get a device capable of 4k video editing, photo editing, or sound engineering at extremely fast speeds and minimal fan noise.
Mac mini: The Ultimate All-Rounder Under R15,000 with Superior Performance and User Experience
This is all possible due to the fourth version of Apple silicon chips, which also come in iPads, MacBooks, iMacs, and Mac Studios.
The Mac mini, though, is tiny in comparison to all other desktop solutions in the Windows market and usually provides more performance for this price point.
The only reason to spend this amount of money and not go for a Mac mini is if you are a gamer. In that use case, you would spend more money on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) than on CPU power, in which the Apple version has industry-leading technology.
Then there is the software optimisation. There’s little comparison between Windows 11 and macOS 26 in terms of user-friendly design and aesthetically appealing appearance.
The software optimisation extends to dedicated video editing, with Final Cut Pro running natively on Apple, which best showcases the ability of any Mac.
It must be noted that at around R10,000, you can get a PC with the traditional tower design, with more RAM and storage, but you will then have to skimp on graphics and CPU performance.
Therefore, as an all-rounder with an exceptional user experience for under R15,000, nothing comes close to the Mac mini.