Better news about petrol prices, and a top South African airport that has been completely abandoned

The Western Cape government announced significant progress on the Van Schoorsdrift Road Safety Improvement Project, valued at R797 million.

The project aims to expand and maintain a section of the N7 north of Cape Town, including 5km of new road and six bridge structures.

The province’s Department of Infrastructure said the project will also eliminate at-grade intersections along the route to improve safety and traffic flow.

Construction is scheduled to finish by March 2027, and several aspects of the project are already nearing completion.

The bad news is that global Brent crude oil prices are back to over $110 per barrel amid fears about regular supply, according to Reuters.

Prices fell in the previous trading session after Iran’s president discussed mediation efforts with Pakistan’s army chief in Tehran, as Brent hit a five-month high before easing.

Shiptrackers said that at least 18 vessel attacks were recorded over the past two weeks, while analysts warned Iran was targeting tankers well beyond the Strait of Hormuz, reaching into the Gulf of Oman.

Bloomberg reported that prices could climb if there are further supply disruptions around Hormuz, with global oil inventories depleting.

In the meantime, the South African rand remained steady against the US dollar and is trading at R16.41 against the American currency this morning.

5 important things

Even better news about petrol prices in South Africa: South Africa’s projected fuel price under-recoveries have fallen from over R4.5 per litre to less than R2 per litre and are still on a downward trajectory, potentially leading to a small price cut next month. According to the Central Energy Fund (CEF), petrol is now looking at an under-recovery of between R1.67 and R1.72 per litre [TopAuto].

Chery on top of BYD in South Africa: In the same month that it launched its first electric vehicle (EV) in South Africa, Chery dethroned BYD as South Africa’s best-selling electric car brand. According to sales data reported to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, Chery sold 214 of its Q crossover EVs in the model’s debut month [MyBroadband].

South Africans are dumping Mercedes-Benz and BMW: South Africa’s luxury German car brands are losing ground as buyers increasingly turn to more affordable alternatives, including Chinese vehicles that offer modern features at lower prices. Audi and Mercedes-Benz have seen their monthly sales fall sharply over the past decade, while Chinese manufacturers have expanded their share of the local market [Daily Investor].

Top South African airport that served 250 million passengers is now completely abandoned and deteriorating in plain sight: The Durban International Airport, which served as the city’s main air travel hub for almost sixty years, has been abandoned and is deteriorating [Newsday].

Ford Ranger gets powerful new 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine in the US: The 2027 Ford Ranger is getting similar treatment to the F-150 and Bronco, replacing the optional 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 in the XLT and Lariat with a bigger, more powerful 3.0-litre EcoBoost V6 [Autoblog].