Nobody will blame you for crying in your cups after reading this story.
South African motorists are once again facing a fuel price crisis, with the cost of petrol and diesel set to rise substantially from Wednesday.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has announced the official fuel prices for September, with both grades of petrol set to increase by R1.71 per litre, while diesel will go up by between R2.76 (50ppm) and R2.84 (500ppm), reports IOL.
What this means at the pumps is that a litre of 95 Unleaded petrol will now cost you R23.82 per litre at the coast and R24.54 in the inland regions, where 93 Unleaded now rises to R24.14.
The wholesale price of 500ppm diesel is set to rise to R22.33 at the coast and R23.05 inland, with 50ppm increasing to R22.58 and R23.29 respectively.
However, this excludes the retail margin for this unregulated fuel, which usually amounts to about R2 per litre, depending on the outlet.
According to the department, fuel prices are rising as a result of stronger international oil prices as well as a weaker rand.
The oil prices added R1.35 to the petrol tally and R2.53 to diesel, while the rand made a smaller contribution to the fuel price mess, having depreciated from an average of R18.28 to the US dollar the previous month to R18.67 in August.
The Automobile Association warned that the upcoming fuel price increases will have negative consequences for all consumers, as the higher transportation costs will inevitably filter their way through to services and goods.