N3 Toll Route Road trips in South Africa just got more expensive after unprecedented fuel price hikes took effect on April 1.
Image: Karen Sandison / Independent Media
Staycations are not everyone’s cup of tea, and if you are still planning a road trip this Easter Weekend, despite the massive fuel price increases that took effect on April 1, it helps to know how much more to budget for.
IOL did a few calculations, taking into account the higher petrol and diesel prices that motorists are paying this month, as well as Sanral’s toll fee hikes that were implemented from March 1.
So how much more is that road trip going to cost?
If you’re planning the long trek from Johannesburg to Cape Town, a one-way journey will cost you around R236 more in a small car that consumes around 5.5 litres of petrol per 100km. However, if you own a bakkie that uses 8.5 l/100km worth of diesel, then be prepared to pay up to R893 more per trip than you did in March.
Approximate one-way journey costs between South Africa's main cities. The diesel cost element is an estimation based on the wholesale price + R2.50.
Image: Jason Woosey / IOL
A Johannesburg to Durban dash will cost a shade under R100 more in a small car, R122 extra in a medium SUV and a significant R363 premium in a diesel-powered bakkie.
On Tuesday, both grades of petrol increased by R3.06 per litre, while diesel went up by between R7.37 (500ppm) and R7.51 (50ppm).
This pushed up the price of 95 Unleaded petrol to R22.53 at the coast and R23.36 in the inland regions, where 93 Unleaded now costs R23.25. The wholesale price of diesel rose to R25.35 at the coast and R26.11 in Gauteng.
Following the price hikes, filling a 30-litre fuel tank with 95 Unleaded petrol now costs R92 more than it did in March. A 40-litre refuel will cost R122 more, and expect to pay an additional R153 for a 50-litre refuel and R184 for a 60-litre fill-up.
How much more you'll pay per tank of 95 Unleaded petrol.
Image: AI / ChatGPT
National Treasury has at least softened the blow with a R3 tax reprieve that will take effect for the month of April, with the possibility of an extension into May. The government further reiterated that there is sufficient fuel supply in the country to meet current and projected demand.
The temporary General Fuel Levy reprieve will also soften the general inflationary blow.
Instead of adding approximately 1% points to CPI in pollution for April, the now ‘softer’ fuel price hikes will add something closer to 0.6% points to inflation, says Frank Blackmore, Lead Economist at KPMG South Africa.
This gets us just over the 4% inflation mark for April, which is a lot better than how things could have been had the R3 levy reduction not been implemented in April.
The Minister also mentioned that there are ongoing talks for May and June; depending on the situation at that point, we may get this extension through those months as well.
IOL Motoring
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