New rules for traffic police in South Africa, and R200 for a full tank of unleaded petrol

Petrol prices in South Africa are fast approaching R30 per litre, with another sizeable hike on the cards in October.

Central Energy Fund (CEF) data for the fourth week of September shows that petrol and diesel are both set for a massive under-recovery next month due to the high cost of oil.

Petrol is now facing an under-recovery of between R2.66 and R2.83 per litre, while diesel is looking at an under-recovery of between R2.60 and R3.01 per litre.

This is a notable increase over the CEF’s earlier reports, which indicated that petrol and diesel would increase by R1.98 and R2.47 per litre, respectively.

These are the CEF’s latest fuel price adjustment predictions as of the fourth week of September:

• Petrol 93 – increase of R2.66 per litre
• Petrol 95 – increase of R2.83 per litre
• Diesel 0.05% (wholesale) – increase of R2.60 per litre
• Diesel 0.005% (wholesale) – increase of R3.01 per litre

However, the good news is that global Brent crude oil prices dropped below $100 per barrel, with Saudi Arabia aiming to restore oil exports via its critical East-West pipeline in the coming days.

This will enable Riyadh to resume bypassing the contested Strait of Hormuz, while US President Donald Trump said officials had a “very productive” meeting with Iranian representatives.

At the same time, demand for South African government bonds has surged ahead of inflation data and a central bank policy meeting later this week.

As a result, the rand has stayed relatively steady against the US dollar, which will cost local buyers R16.20 this morning.

5 important things

New rules for traffic police in South Africa – including when they can arrest you: The Department of Transport gazetted a determination by the CEO of the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) regarding the powers, enforcement duties, and minimum training standards for traffic wardens [TopAuto].

R200 for a full tank of 93-unleaded petrol in South Africa: 20 years ago, South Africans could fill a 40-litre petrol tank for about R200. Today, the same amount of petrol costs over R1,000, as petrol prices far outstripped inflation over the period [Newsday].

Digital platform saving lives on South Africa’s roads: A new digital dashboard that tracks road incidents such as crashes, pedestrian accidents, speeding, and taxi transport patterns has been handed over to the provincial government of Limpopo [MyBroadband].

Toyota confirms new hybrid system from China: Toyota is about to change up its hybrid plans with confirmation that it will begin producing range-extender hybrid electric vehicles (REEV). Starting in the first quarter of 2027, Toyota will start building extended-range hybrids for the first time [CarsGuide].

McLaren marks the next chapter with an evolved company logo: British carmaker McLaren has unveiled an evolved brand identity that brings together the marque’s past, present and future in one connected expression across McLaren Automotive and McLaren Racing [McLaren].