What is the life expectancy of iPad minI From South Africa

I just got a new iPad mini 24 months agO. I have protected it and treated it as my baby. Loved it. Upgraded to iOS 8. Stuck on Apple log. When I took it to the Apple Store they told me it was dead. They told me it was a sealed unit and could not be repaired. They offered me Rand 140. This was my first Apple product and I was very happy, until now. I cannot believe that this is all I am getting from this brand. It is widely known that the new operating system is giving trouble. Why am I getting this bad service from the Apple Store in South Africa? The so called technician just plugged It into his laptop and said it was dead. Nothing else. Need some advice. Please need help from South Africa.