By acquiring 'things' that are linked to wealth, luxury and status; one could feel as if they were bettering their social standing by association. Posel goes on to explain that consumption gives expression to "the aspiration to demonstrable wealth" (Posel, 2010: 158) and that in this instance is a reaction to many years of deprivation that stemmed from "racially politicized consumption in South Africa" (Posel, 2010: 160) in the past. An example of a culture and a trend within South African society, who consume purely to demonstrate wealth and opulence, would be the Izikhothane. A group of people from the East Rand township spend thousands of Rands on branded clothing and other highly expensive things to compete with other groups. As seen on 3rd Degree and SABC News these groups compete to see who leads a more flamboyant lifestyle. From ripping up designer clothes and hundred Rand notes to spitting Ultramel custard on the floor. Members of Izikhothane literally set fire to their assets to prove that money, for them, is in fact no object. Diketso Chiloane, leader of Izikhothane, justifies these actions by saying: "It's to show I can tear this T-shirt up and buy another one. Or go home and get another one for R500 to show that you don't scare me". (3rd Degree, n/d). Social trend analyst, Jamal Nxedlana, who has documented the Izikhothane lifestyle says that the only way to attain status, when genuine wealth is unattainable, is to destroy these symbols of value as if to say "there is a lot more where that came from" (3rd Degree, n/d). Videos of Izikhothane members destroying things of great financial value can, and have, gone viral – giving them instant celebrity status. Nxedlana goes on to say "more than money, what they value most is respect and recognition. And for them, that is their currency." This is a trend that may have arisen due to a new availability of 'things' that were previously denied to black South Africans (Posel, 2010:160) and 'things' are "invested with the iconography of a joyous emancipation" (Posel 2010: 159).
