The Automobile Association has warned that South African motorists are facing yet another hike in the fuel price going into July.
“Since the start of June, the rand has steadily weakened against the US dollar, with the average cost per dollar having climbed from around the R12,50 mark to nearly R13,00,” the AA said, commenting on unaudited mid-month fuel data released by the Central Energy Fund.
“Fortunately, international oil prices retreated over the same period, and have had a very small impact on the figures,” the AA added.
The current data forecast, according to the association, is a rise of around 32 cents a litre for petrol, about 30 cents for diesel and some 22 cents for illuminating paraffin.
“Almost all of the increase is due to rand weakness and the picture would have looked very much worse if international oil prices had not come down over the past two weeks.
“With the volatility of oil markets over the last six weeks, an increase in the oil price cannot be ruled out in the short- to medium-term, and we once again advise all motorists to avoid unnecessary journeys, make us of car pooling, and practice economical driving techniques,” the AA said.
