Apple's first touchscreen MacBook: when SA gets it and what it may cost

Apple has launched its first MacBook with a touchscreen, but South Africa has no local price or release date yet. Pre-orders opened on 28 October in 30 countries and regions, and the first buyers get their laptops from Friday, 6 November (Apple).

Apple hasn't said whether South Africa is one of those 30 markets. On 29 October, Apple's South African MacBook Pro page still showed only the older M5 models with the previous Liquid Retina XDR screen (Apple South Africa), and iStore had not listed the new model (Stuff).

What will the touchscreen MacBook Pro cost in South Africa?

Nobody knows the official rand price yet. IOL converted the US starting prices to about R48,183 for the 14-inch and R56,490 for the 16-inch, and expects the laptop to cost at least R60,000 once it is imported (IOL). Stuff worked out that a fully specced model would come to about R240,000 ($14,550) (Stuff).

These are conversions, not SA prices. Local prices usually include 15% VAT and can differ from a straight exchange rate.

Here is what Apple charges in the markets where it has published prices:

Sources: Apple, Mac Observer UK prices, Mac Observer Australia prices. US prices exclude sales tax.

What does the current MacBook Pro cost at iStore?

If you need a MacBook Pro now, the existing models are still on sale. On 29 October iStore listed the 14-inch M5 from R38,999 (down from R40,799), the 14-inch M5 Pro or M5 Max from R50,999 and the 16-inch M5 Pro or M5 Max from R61,199 (iStore). Some configurations were on back order.

What's actually new?

The big change is the screen. Apple calls it a PROLED XDR display: a tandem OLED panel with up to 2,000 nits of brightness, a 120Hz refresh rate and touch built into the panel itself (Apple). You can scroll, pinch to zoom, drag files and draw directly on the screen, while the keyboard and trackpad work as before.

The notch is gone, replaced by a Dynamic Island like the one on iPhones. The laptop runs M5 Pro or M5 Max chips with up to 128GB of memory and 16TB of storage, and Apple claims up to 24 hours of battery life in a thinner, lighter body (Apple). It ships with macOS 27.

When could it arrive in South Africa?

There is no confirmed date. Apple's first wave covers the US, UK, Canada and Australia, among others, with deliveries from 6 November (Mac Observer). Apple has not named South Africa in that wave, so it is unconfirmed whether local stock will arrive this year. Watch Apple's South African MacBook Pro page and iStore for a listing.