End of an era for one of South Africa’s most popular car brands, and a luxury petrol station brand opening 30 new stores

The pricing for the new petrol version of the VW Amarok Aventura has been uncovered ahead of its imminent launch in South Africa.

With a sticker of R1,178,900, the 2.3-litre turbocharged petrol (TSI) Amarok is the third most expensive model in the range, only falling behind the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel PanAmericana and Aventura.

The petrol engine produces 222kW and 452Nm and connects to a 4Motion all-wheel-drive system via a 10-speed automatic gearbox.

Oil prices rose after Iran said it wouldn’t change its conditions to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, dashing hopes of a fast resolution to resume shipping in the region.

Brent Crude has climbed to $108 per barrel. US President Donald Trump said that Iran has overplayed its hand and that negotiations are set to resume this week.

The price of oil has surged 75% this year as the war in the Middle East enters its eighth month. In South Africa, petrol is projected to reach over R30 per litre in October unless oil prices drop within the next few days.

The rand has depreciated against the US dollar over the last week, dropping from roughly R16 per USD to R16.41 per USD.

5 important things

Luxury petrol station brand to open 30 new stores in South Africa: The owners of the Pantry, an upmarket forecourt convenience store in Rosebank, plan to greatly expand the franchise over the next four years, opening at least 30 other locations nationwide. [TopAuto].

End of an era for one of South Africa’s most popular car brands: Managing director of Volkswagen Group Africa, Martina Biene, is leaving the company to assume a new position at Skoda. The company achieved great success during Biene’s tenure. She will be succeeded by Christiane Zorn, who is currently the Vice President of Porsche’s overseas region. [BusinessTech].

South Africa’s favourite car brand has sold over 11,000 vehicles per month for 5 years: Toyota holds a dominant market share in South Africa. It sold 766,153 units between January 2021 and August 2026, equating to 11,267 per month. [Daily Investor].

R22,500 for a heavy-duty electric motorcycle in South Africa: The Kenyan e-mobility company ARC Ride has launched its electric motorbike, the Panther, in our market. The Panther is supported by a battery-swapping network and is designed for the country’s growing last-mile delivery sector. [MyBroadband].

Hyundai poised to overtake Ford in USA sales: The Hyundai Motor Group is set to overtake Ford on its home turf for the first time. Sales of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis cars grew an estimated 4.4% to 511,000 units in Q3, while sales of Fords dropped by 7.7% to 504,000. [Bloomberg].