Huge fuel price cuts on the horizon:
South Africa’s long-squeezed motorists might find fresh relief next month as recent data
from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) data points to meaningful fuel price cuts in February — a rare bright spot in a world rattled by geopolitical theatrics and jittery oil markets.
In an unexpected twist, the rand has staged its strongest run in more than three years, overpowering a rise in international oil prices and clearing the runway for across-the-board reductions at the pumps.
With the rand rally, motorists are finally winning at the pumps, just as cash-strapped consumers emerge from January — the longest and toughest month on the national wallet — and start hunting for spare rand to mark Valentine’s Day.
February has become another big-spending stretch, with younger generations splurging on the growing economy of love and romance.
Mid-month indicators from the CEF show robust over-recoveries for both petrol and diesel, signalling potential decreases of:
- Petrol 93: –66 cents per litre
- Petrol 95: –69 cents/litre
- Diesel 0.05%: –63 cents/litre
- Diesel 0.005%: –71 cents/litre
- Illuminating paraffin: –60 cents/litre
The projected cuts come after a turbulent spell in global markets. A diplomatic dust-up — triggered by US President Donald Trump’s provocative threat that America would take control of Greenland “one way or another” — sparked a brief but sharp standoff with the European Union, complete with tariff warnings. Oil prices jumped from $ 62 to $ 65 a barrel before tension cooled at the World Economic Forum in Davos, easing fears of yet another global trade war.
Earlier forecasts dangled the prospect of even steeper reductions — more than R1 a litre for petrol and more than R1.60 for diesel — but the oil price wobble has since trimmed those gains.
The real game-changer has been the rand’s surge to R16.09 to the dollar, its firmest footing in three and a half years. The greenback has softened amid Washington’s controversial foreign policy manoeuvres, while South Africa has enjoyed a rare confluence of positive domestic developments.
These include its removal from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force founded by G7 countries in Paris, France, in 1989; the country’s first sovereign ratings upgrade in two decades and a firmer growth outlook of 1.5% for 2026 and 2027.
The combination has helped insulate consumers from the full brunt of rising oil prices and for once, tilted the balance in favour of motorists.
Why it matters
Fuel is a major inflation driver. A meaningful cut eases pressure on households, taxi operators, logistics and food prices.
At last after the festive season’s high-spending tradition, South Africa’s motorists are finally in line for some long-overdue relief at the pumps.
If current trends hold, February could deliver the most meaningful fuel price relief South Africans have seen in years — a welcome breather for households, businesses and the broader economy.
At least many of us in the motoring world will not be seeing red in the new month when cash-strapped consumers will then start hunting for spare rand to mark Valentine’s Day.
Marlan Padayachee, formerly a political, diplomatic and foreign correspondent, is a freelance journalist, photographer and researcher.
From Ford Ranger Platinum to entry-level ease:
Last week marked the end of my long-term test with the Ford Ranger Platinum. While I was in mourning, I received a more basic Ranger on test.
A different type of Ranger.
No quilted leather seats, no seat heaters and coolers, no steering heater, no 360 degree camera, no push-to-start feature and most importantly, no three-litre V6 turbodiesel engine paired to a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
It was a Ranger with cloth seats, a key that needed to be inserted into the ignition and a two-litre turbo-diesel paired to a six-speed manual gearbox.
The Ranger Platinum is a luxury bakkie but I went back to basics and now I have, as we like to call it, a workhorse.
The beginning was a tough adjustment. I mean, going from automated buttery-smooth gear changes to changing gears yourself can be a slight inconvenience and not having the comfort I had just a few days ago also made it all the more challenging.
But then, I did start to adjust to the vehicle and at first, a feeling of nostalgia overcame me.
I recalled driving my grandfather to the flea market in his manual bakkie that was anything but smooth. The Ranger XL had a smooth drive, even though this version lacked a bi-turbo or V6 engine.
It’s not underpowered by any means. It has 125kW of power and 405Nm of torque, which is more than enough.
Where it also excels is the fuel consumption. It was the first time
I drove a bakkie that gave me less than 8 litres/100km compared with the Platinum that drank petrol for breakfast, lunch and supper.
It started to feel slightly refreshing. The basic technology I use, like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, were in the Ranger XL. That meant I could stay connected while driving, without a fuss.
The Ranger XL also has a reverse camera and rear sensors, so there’s no issue with backing into tight spaces, although I did miss the 360 degree camera on the Ranger Platinum, because sometimes, you are not sure if your towbar is sticking out.
Once I adjusted to the bakkie, it became easy to realise that yes, the XL will never be the Platinum but it does exactly what it is supposed to do and it does so efficiently.
The lesson I learnt from driving the Ranger Platinum and XL was also exactly why the Ford Ranger itself is such a successful vehicle in South Africa.
Across seven models, there are 22 derivatives, excluding the Raptor. Going from the Platinum to the XL made me realise that Ford has catered this bakkie to every possible scenario someone might use it for, without compromising on basic comfort and technology.
For those who just need a workhorse, the XL is perfect, although the variant I was in did have 4×4 driving on the fly.
For those who want comfort and a workhorse, the XLT and Tremor variants are there for them.
For those who want more style, the Wildtrak and Wildtrak X variants cater to them and for those who want a luxurious bakkie that can do everything a bakkie can do and spoil you with comfort, technology and features, the Platinum is available.
The Ranger XL that we were in is priced at R704 000 and the Platinum at R1 151 000.
Festive drive: Chery Tiggo 9 and all its might:
I reviewed the Chery Tiggo 9 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in late 2025 and believed that alongside the Omoda C9, it was the flag-bearer for how far Chinese cars have come.
I had the top-of-the-range petrol variant on test for the festive period. Although from a driving perspective, I knew it was not going to be the same as the PHEV, I was excited to spend more time with a vehicle that has every feature you can think of.
The exterior sets the tone for the entire vehicle. The Tiggo 9 strikes a balance between grandeur and poise. Sleek body lines flow seamlessly into an imposing front fascia, where a bold 3D diamond grille takes centre stage, framed by sculpted LED headlamps.
At the back, a full-width LED light bar stretches across the tailgate, inspired by diamond jewellery, which is a testament to the luxury the car offers.
I had a rather busy festive period, beginning with a trip to Warmbaths and I was ready for the two-hour drive. It was the first time I was driving long distance in this vehicle. From the time we settled in, I knew we were in for a comfortable journey.
We are a family of three and the vehicle is a seven-seater, so there was ample space for my wife and son to relax as they pleased.
The front seats and the second row have heated and cooled seats, which meant that in addition to the air-conditioner, all three of us also had seat cooling for the journey, which was satisfying and refreshing. The front seats also have a massage feature, which gets the holiday vibes going even more.
The 15.6 inch infotainment system makes it easy for passengers to control the music or entertainment. We were throwing it back to the early 2000s, with premium sound thanks to the vehicle’s 14-speaker Sony sound system.
The drive to Warmbaths and back felt luxurious and comfortable. Yet, people on the outside who notice the occupants in a Chinese vehicle, have no clue that the occupants are experiencing all the amazing features.
It’s easy to get carried away with the features and lose focus on what matters, which is how the vehicle drives. To reiterate, I knew the driving experience would not feel as polished as the PHEV variant. It would never match it for power and poise. The PHEV has a 1.5 litre turbocharged engine paired with three electric motors that give the car insane outputs.
With the petrol variant, it is powered by a 2 litre turbocharged petrol engine that delivers 187kW of power and 390Nm of torque.
I was pleasantly surprised at how well the car performed on the road. No throttle calibration issues, smooth gear shifts and easy power with little turbo lag meant that it kept the premium feel in all departments. The road to Warmbaths was straight and simple, so the adaptive cruise control came into play, making it easy for me to enjoy my
massage while driving.
Another thing that surprised me was the fuel consumption figures. Claimed figures on Chinese petrol cars are almost never true. The claimed figure on the Tiggo 9 is
8.3 litres/100km. On highways, I could easily drop the car below these figures but urban driving pushed it up. I ended up with a fuel consumption figure of 8.8 litres/100km, which is not bad, considering that this is a seven-seater.
When I got back from Warmbaths, I had another three weeks to enjoy the car. The three weeks were chaotic to say the least. My cousins and I were meeting almost every night for padel and then a game of Mafia.
On one of those nights, they wanted to check the car out. They jumped into the front seats and turned on the massage feature and well, they didn’t want to jump out.
I suppose it’s the comfort, luxury and tech-filled cabin that Chery has got spot-on with the Tiggo 9 that make it a beautiful car to be inside, drive and explore with.
The real cherry on top (excuse the pun) is that no matter which variant you jump into, you are not paying crazy money for what you
are getting.
The entry-level 2 litre turbocharged Pinnacle model starts at R689 900, while the top of the range 2 litre turbocharged Vanguard comes in at R779 900. That is what you pay to get into entry-level German hatchbacks.
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