A school uniform dress costs in the region of R300, depending on the size and the school, way more than I'd spend on a single item of clothing for my daughter.
Grey school shorts cost about R80 a pair, once again depending on where you buy them, which is probably a little more than what I spend per item for my son.
So these items cost more than what we pay for clothing in general, but the quality is significantly worse. Uniforms are made of polyester which can't be pleasant to wear. Polyester is rough and makes you sweat when it's hot.