A new Chinese bakkie, white light cars getting out of hand, and the official petrol price for September

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

New Chinese bakkie launched in South Africa

LDV has officially launched the new Terron 9 double cab in South Africa.

The Terron 9 is the carmaker’s new flagship bakkie, slotting above the midsize T60.

It is available in three specifications, and prices start at R699,900.

White light cars are getting out of hand

Cars fitted with white flashing lights are becoming increasingly common on South African roads; however, motorists are not obligated to give way to them.

These vehicles often exceed the speed limit and flash at other motorists to give way, but are not branded or fitted with identifying markers.

The only cars legally permitted to use white lights are registered security vehicles, but there is a growing trend of private motorists fitting lights on their dashboards that can be easily removed and hidden if stopped by police.

New international flight for South Africa

South African Airways plans to launch a new international flight between South Africa and Botswana.

The service, launching this November, will run two times per day with flights leaving Johannesburg at 06h35 and 16h40.

Several other airlines have announced new flights in recent months, including Qantas, Air France, and FlySafair.

New VW Transporter goes on sale in South Africa

VW has officially launched the next-gen Transporter in South Africa.

The new people carrier is available in a short-wheelbase configuration with a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel (TDI) engine.

There are four versions to choose from, and prices start at R1,055,200.

Official petrol price decrease for September

The Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources’ latest fuel price adjustments came into effect on Wednesday, 3 September 2025.

Both petrol and diesel saw a reduction, though only the latter saw a meaningful change.

Petrol dropped by an imperceptible 4c per litre, while diesel thankfully came down by a more substantial 56c per litre.