Official petrol price for March, warning for motorists paying speeding fines online, and a new Chinese bakkie for South Africa

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

Official petrol price increases for March announced

The latest official fuel price adjustments came into effect on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.

Petrol and diesel prices took a hit this month following the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran, which have disrupted the global oil supply.

Petrol went up by 20c per litre, while diesel saw a larger increase of 65c per litre.

Warning for motorists paying speeding fines online

Motorists in South Africa are being sent fake traffic fine notices that demand urgent payment to avoid penalties.

The Road Traffic Infringement Agency (RTIA) has confirmed that the messages, which are claim to be traffic fines issued under the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences (Aarto) Act, are fraudulent and should be ignored.

The messages are typically sent via email and demand a payment within 24 hours.

Big change of plans for the Gautrain

The Gautrain system will continue to operate under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, once its current concession agreement comes to an end later this month.

The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) announced on Wednesday, 4 March 2026, that it had identified a preferential bidder to operate, maintain, refurbish, upgrade, and modernise the rail service for the next 15 years.

The Gautrain was previously set to be taken over by the Gauteng government at the end of the month.

The South African dealer that bet big on Chinese car brands and won

The Super Group, a logistics and mobility solutions company headquartered in South Africa, has a network of 66 dealerships across several provinces, and is now benefiting from introducing Chinese brands early.

The group reported a strong financial performance for the six months ended 31 December 2025, including a 7.0% increase in revenue from continuing operations, rising to R22.68 billion.

The group saw the its sales figures of emerging Chinese and Indian car brands increase by 102.0%, which means they now account for nearly 30% of the Super Group’s total new vehicle sales. 

New Chinese double-cab bakkie announced for South Africa

Chinese giant Chery has announced that it will be bringing its all-new double-cab bakkie to South Africa, and while it does not have an official name yet, Chery is calling it the KP31 internally.

The pickup is set for a local introduction sometime between late 2026 and early 2027.

What makes the KP31 unique is that it is a diesel Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV), debuting the Chinese badge’s all-new 2.5-litre turbodiesel plug-in hybrid powertrain, a first for the segment.