Bad to worse for petrol prices, a new Chery bakkie, and motorists warned about the 20km/h rule

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

Bad to worse for petrol prices in South Africa

Motorists are in for a double blow in June as the price of petrol is expected to go up, and the government is planning to reintroduce a major fuel tax.

Data from the Central Energy Fund indicates that petrol is likely to rise by at least 82c due to the fluctuating cost of oil.

At the same time, the government is planning to partially reintroduce the General Fuel Levy next month, which was heavily reduced in April as a relief measure to soften the blow of skyrocketing fuel prices.

Flights cancelled at two major airports in South Africa

Earlier this week, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) announced that certain flights would be delayed, diverted or cancelled at Cape Town International and George Airport.

Parts of South Africa have been hit with severe weather over the past two weeks, prompting the government to declare a national disaster.

ACSA’s airports remain open and operational, and alternative airports are accommodating diverted flights where required.

Motorists warned about the 20km/h rule in South Africa

Drivers in South Africa have been warned that exceeding the speed limit can have severe consequences when attempting to claim insurance following an accident.

Edite Teixeira-McKinon, Lead Ombud of the Non-life Insurance Division at the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa, noted that motorists underestimate how insurers factor speed into accident claims.

Most insurers follow the “20km/h” rule, which states that exceeding the speed limit by 20km/h may result in the denial of insurance claims for car accidents.

New 7-seater Chery SUV bakkie coming to South Africa – Photos

Chery’s newest car is an SUV that can be converted to a 7-seater MPV or a double-cab bakkie, and it’s coming to South Africa.

Known as the Tiggo V, it uses a modular design where the rear shell can be removed to suit a variety of needs.

By default, it is an SUV with up to seven seats, but owners can remove the rear cover and seats to create a small load bed ideal for storing tools or garden supplies.

Government’s broken R14 per litre petrol promise

The price of petrol has skyrocketed to R26.63 per litre in South Africa, nearly two years after Minister Gwede Mantashe said that fuel should only cost around R14 per litre.

Back in 2024, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources previously stated that petrol and diesel should cost no more than R14 per litre and that the government would review the fuel price formula in an effort to reduce prices and provide financial relief to consumers.

In the two years since these statements were made, the government has made no progress in finding a long-term solution to reduce fuel prices in South Africa.