Zolan Kanno-Youngs
CAPETONIANS are now paying R13.93 for a litre of petrol after the price increased by 39c to a record high at midnight.
And there is likely to be another increase next month.
While the 39c increase is national, motorists at the coast pay 3c less than those inland because of the additional cost of transporting the fuel.
The Automobile Association and South African Petrol Retailers Association said the increase was a result of the weak rand- dollar exchange rate.
“The economy at the moment is not consumer-friendly,” said Sibongile Mtaopane, of the South African Petrol Retailers Association.
“We are relying very much on the dollar and exchange rate and if the rand is not doing well, we are going to be seeing many more increases.
“The prices change daily. All indications are that, with the way things are going, we are going to see another increase next month.”
Mtaopane added that while neighbouring countries paid less for petrol than South Africa, the increase in price was a global issue. “I don’t think there’s any country at the moment that’s all good. The economy is not consumer-friendly. It is a global phenomenon and we are not in any way facing this by ourselves.”