Fake it till you make it: What is the ‘rent-a-bottle’ trend at SA’s nightclubs?
‘We used to see it, but we never used to question it’: A former club promoter claims to have seen club-goers ‘rent bottles’ at a popular Sandton nightclub.
The nightlife in Johannesburg is certainly like no other. The glitz, glam and pricey premium alcohol brands can easily make or break a good time in the City of Gold.
One part about Johannesburg’s sizzling nightlife that has us asking a few questions, is the “renting of bottles” by club-goers to flash on their table, creating the illusion that they’re regular big spenders.
How does this all go down? Here a few answers.
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THE ‘RENT-A-BOTTLE’ TREND
In 2019, Twitter user @Mthigo_ explained in depth how club-goers “rent bottles” in some of South Africa’s premier clubs.
@Mthigo_ claims that one has to take out a significant amount of money to have different bottles “displayed” at your table.
Responding to a now-deleted tweet, @Mthigo wrote: “No one’s allowed to drink them, someone at your table is designed to guard them. They’re collected/returned at the end of the night.”
“You see a table with 15+ bottles of champagne and all sorts of whiskey, vodka etc. The occupants sipping all night, but all those ‘display’ bottles never decrease in numbers. End of the night they’re slightly tipsy.. All those bottles go back to the bar.”
The South African reached out to two club promoters who have denied the practice of renting out bottles in Johannesburg’s top nightclubs.
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WHAT ELSE CAN YOU RENT IN SA?
From used Louis Vuitton and Gucci bags to bottles of luxury alcohol, we’ve pretty much covered most of the things you can rent out in South Africa… But, there is one last thing.
A company called Hair Me Out was renting wigs to those interested but you would have to apply through a rental form.
On their Instagram page, they detailed why people would be interested in renting wigs but their Instagram page has been inactive since 2019.
“They’re not keen on owning a wig and require it for one or two days. They have wigs but would like to try out a different style before making that HUGE investment.”