
These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s automotive industry this week.
Official petrol price for July
The latest fuel price adjustments from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy were implemented on Wednesday, 5 July.
This month, petrol users will be enjoying a drop in costs, while diesel users will need to pay more.
The price changes are the result of a rise in global demand for oil, as well as a fluctuating U.S. dollar/rand exchange rate.
Gauteng getting new number plates
The Gauteng MEC for Transport and Logistics, Kedibone Diale-Tlabela, recently announced that the province will be receiving new number plates.
The plates serve two purposes, the first of which is added security thanks to new features and verification methods intended to crack down on fake licences.
The other function is to add new plate numbers, as the current system is nearly out of numerical and alphabetical combinations.
Vodacom will now keep the traffic lights on in Midrand
Vodacom has partnered with the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) to ensure that traffic lights along major intersections in the Midrand area of Gauteng remain operational during load-shedding.
The lack of working traffic lights has been causing congestion issues countrywide thanks to the latest bout of intense load-shedding, and Vodacom estimates that 2,000 to 3,000 cars are affected during both the morning and afternoon rush hour peaks alone.
“Motorists in the area can spend an unnecessarily extended amount of time stuck in traffic because of non-functioning traffic lights in the area. And when people are running late, this hinders their productivity, which, in turn negatively affects our economy,” said Sitho Mdlalose, CEO of Vodacom South Africa.
Chery makes another big move in South Africa
Chery recently celebrated its first large-scale fleet transaction in South Africa, selling 100 units to Hertz rental company.
Consequently, motorists will now be able to rent a top-spec Tiggo 4 Pro Elite from the rental service.
The Chinese carmaker has become a smash hit on the local car scene in a relatively short time after having re-entered the country in late 2021.
New VW T-Cross coming to South Africa
VW has confirmed to TopAuto that the updated T-Cross will be coming to South Africa in 2024.
The T-Cross is the brand’s most affordable SUV in the country, and it’s expected to become even more attainable in the near future with the imminent arrival of a Trendline model.
The 2024 version will have a new look and a thoroughly-upgraded interior, and the higher trim levels will bring exclusive new features that were once reserved for the brand’s top models like the Amarok and Touareg.
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