Johannesburg - Brace yourself, petrolheads, your drug of choice is about to get a lot more expensive.
That's the message from the Automobile Association, according to its review of unaudited month-end data from the Central Energy Fund.
"Including the additional 30 cents a litre fuel levy," it said, "petrol is likely to go up by about 83 cents a litre, and diesel by as much as 95 cents a litre on the first Wednesday in April.
"Although the Rand / Dollar exchange rate has firmed in the Rand's favour over the past few weeks, the rise in the international prices of petroleum products has cancelled that out and more."
The association warned that there could be further fuel price hikes in store.
"If oil prices continue to climb, South African motorists can expect substantial fuel price increases," it commented.
"Any deterioration in the exchange rate will add more pressure; a combination of sustained oil prices and a ratings downgrade before the end of the year would push South African fuel prices up very sharply."