Despite the government’s temporary fuel tax reprieve of R1.50, South Africans will still be forking out more for petrol and diesel from today.
According to the Department of Energy, the price of 93 unleaded petrol will increase by 28 cents a litre, while 95 unleaded will go up by 36 cents.
Diesel prices rose by R1.52 and R1.68 for 500ppm and 50ppm respectively.
Were it not for the tax intervention, motorists would have faced increases of around R1.80 for petrol and R3.00 for diesel.
But even so, South Africans will be paying record prices for all grades of fuel.
95 unleaded petrol will now cost R21.24 at the coast.
As diesel is unregulated, only the wholesale price is announced, and this amounts to R20.64 per litre at the coast.
But how much more will you spend per tank in April?
According to IOL Motoring, putting 30 litres into a small hatchback with a 35-litre tank, such as a Kia Picanto, will now cost you R637.20 at the coast, an increase of R10.80.
Putting 50 litres into a mid-sized vehicle like a Toyota Rav4 will now cost you R1062 at the coast.
The spike in fuel prices is mostly as a result of rising Brent Crude oil prices, which rose from an average of $96.47 USD the previous month to $109.37 in March according to the Department of Energy.
The department also blamed the continued sanctions imposed on Russia, despite Russia’s discounted crude oil prices.
“This is disrupting energy flows as Russia is one of the biggest global exporters of oil.”
The R1.50 fuel tax reprieve will come to an end on 31 May 2022.
Fuel taxes currently account for R6.11 of every litre of fuel sold, with the general fuel levy amounting to R3.91 and the Road Accident Fund R2.18.