When R1 was $1, a meal at a restaurant with your family might cost R50

Now a meal with your family can cost R1000.

It is the value of your currency that has changed, not the value of the software.

Lightroom and Photoshop are absolutely best of class applications, and if you have subscribed, you get endless support for them.

What do you expect ?? All that awesome development and free support for no cost?

As others have said, I remember when Photoshop (by itself) was £600 - and I bought it. Subsequent updates were cheaper, but it was the equivalent of many years of subscription now. I would much rather pay £9 per month now, get two apps (LR and PS), have endless support, and have pretty much the best software there is.

Also, My use of Adobe software earns me much more than it costs. If you make money from your use of some tool, how is it a con to have to pay for it??