South Africans are being hit with yet another massive fuel price increase from Wednesday, October 4
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy announced on Tuesday that the price of 95 Unleaded petrol (ULP) would increase by R1.14 per litre, and 93 Unleaded by R1.08. Diesel is set to go up by between R1.93 (50ppm) and R1.96 (500ppm).
But how much more will that add to the cost of a tank? The tables below show how much it will cost you to refuel some of South Africa’s most popular vehicles, calculated using five to 10 litres less than the total tank capacity.
If you own a compact hatchback such as the Toyota Starlet, and you’re putting 32 litres into its 37 litre tank, expect to pay R34.20 more for a tank of 95 ULP at the coast and R32.40 for 93 ULP inland. That’s over and above the R55 increase that last month’s R1.71 price hike brought. Which means that in just two months, the cost of filling a small car has gone up by almost R90.
Medium sized vehicles, like the Toyota Corolla or Haval Jolion, will cost around R140 more to refuel than they did two months back, with this month’s price adjustment adding R54.
But those with one-tonne bakkies and larger bakkie-based SUVs are being hit the hardest, with a tank costing R135 more than it did in September and R328 more than in August.
The National Automobile Dealer’s Association (NADA) said the latest price hikes will have a profound impact on the daily lives of South African consumers, who are already feeling the pinch in every aspect of their lives.
“The ripple effects extend far beyond the pump, with increased transportation costs anticipated to result in higher prices for essential goods and services,” NADA said.
“This, in turn, threatens to contribute to inflationary pressures in the South African economy and further erode consumers' ability to meet their already cash-strapped household expenses and utility bills.”
The October fuel price increases come as a result of a perfect storm of rand weakness and higher international oil prices, while the Slate Levy has also seen an increase for the month. This self-adjusting scale was designed to compensate for the daily oil price fluctuations during the preceding month.
The Automobile Association (AA) has previously called for South Africa’s fuel price structure to be revisited.
The association expressed disappointment that no measures were announced to deal with the latest increases more effectively.