Convert Rands to USD and Rands to USD using exchange rate R16.53 per USD. Explain weak rand. Define tariff and contract advantage.

Given: $1 = \text{R}16.53$

$$\text{Amount in USD} = \frac{\text{Amount in Rands}}{\text{Exchange Rate}}$$ $$\text{Amount in USD} = \frac{\text{R}14800}{\text{R}16.53/\text{USD}}$$ $$\text{Amount in USD} = 895.3417...$$

The amount in US Dollars is \boxed{\text{\895.34}}$.

1.3.2

Given: $1 = \text{R}16.53$

$$\text{Price in Rands} = \text{Price in USD} \times \text{Exchange Rate}$$

$\text{Price in Rands} = \$820 \times \text{R}16.53/\text{USD}$

$$\text{Price in Rands} = \text{R}13554.60$$

The price of the laptop in South African rand is $\boxed{\text{R}13554.60}$.

1.3.3

A weak rand means that South African consumers need to spend more Rands to buy the same amount of foreign currency (like US Dollars). This makes imported goods, which are priced in foreign currency, more expensive when converted back to Rands, reducing the purchasing power of consumers.

2.1

A tariff is a schedule of rates or charges for a service, such as the cost per minute for phone calls or a fixed monthly fee for a contract.

2.2

An advantage of Option A (Contract) is that it offers a fixed monthly fee which includes a set number of minutes (300 minutes). This provides predictability in monthly spending and can be more cost-effective for users who consistently use a similar amount of minutes within the included allowance.

2.3

$$\text{Cost for Option B} = \text{Call cost per minute} \times \text{Number of minutes}$$ $$\text{Cost for Option B} = \text{R}2.30/\text{minute} \times 250 \text{ minutes}$$ $$\text{Cost for Option B} = \text{R}575.00$$

Option A has a fixed monthly fee of R220 and includes 300 minutes. Since 250 minutes is less than the included 300 minutes, there are no extra call costs.

$$\text{Cost for Option A} = \text{R}220.00$$

Cost for Option A = R220.00
Cost for Option B = R575.00
Since R220.00 < R575.00, Option A is cheaper.

The total monthly cost for Option B is $\boxed{\text{R}575.00}$.
The cheaper option for using 250 minutes is $\boxed{\text{Tariff Option A}}$.

2.4

Choosing the wrong tariff can significantly affect Lelo's monthly budget by leading to unnecessary expenses. If Lelo chooses a contract (Option A) but uses very few minutes, they would still pay the fixed monthly fee of R220, which might be more than a pay-as-you-go plan for minimal usage. Conversely, if Lelo chooses pay-as-you-go (Option B) but makes many calls, the per-minute charges could quickly accumulate to a much higher amount than a contract's fixed fee, causing them to overspend their budget.