How will the war affect the petrol price in SA? Photo: Supplied
How will the war affect the petrol price in SA? Photo: Supplied
Yet another hike for the petrol price this year is likely to drive South Africa into uncharted territory. Fuel costs are now on course to reach a record-high in some regions of the country, with the price-per-litre value set to breach R17 inland.
According to the Central Energy Fund, their mid-month estimates foresee an eye-watering increase of – wait for it – R1.16 per litre of petrol. Around 90 cents of this is made up by the usual factors, but the already-gargantuan spike has been assisted by a 26 cent increase in fuel levies. This will come into effect next month, following the 2021 Budget Speech.
Diesel costs are also set to soar, with the early forecasts suggesting that consumers will be paying 92 cents per litre more from the first week in April. Illuminating paraffin also goes up by 62 cents. Surging oil prices are mainly responsible for this.
Back in October 2018, our fuel costs surpassed the R17 mark for the first time (reaching R17.08 per litre), before a significant comedown was announced two months later. However, those living in inland regions – think Gauteng, North West, Free State – are currently paying an average of R16.32 per litre of petrol.
April’s predicted hikes, worth more than R1 per litre for petrol motors, will take SA comfortably past the previous threshold.
Taking these forecasts and first estimates into account, here’s what you can expect to pay, on average, for fuel on a price per litre basis – from the first week of April 2021 onwards. However, we have to stress that these mid-month estimates are liable to change by the time the Department of Energy set next month’s costs in stone.