Fuel stations in South Africa are under pressure despite rising petrol and diesel prices Image: David Ritchie/Independent Newspapers
The Petroleum Retailers Association says fuel stations across South Africa are under serious pressure, particularly in rural areas where sales are low, and costs keep rising.
IOL previously reported that fuel stations in South Africa are facing the heat, despite rising petrol and diesel prices, with owners warning that tight margins and soaring costs are making it hard to stay afloat.
This comes as the war in the Middle East continues to drive global oil prices higher, pushing local fuel costs to record levels. Last month, motorists were hit with price increases of R3.27 per litre for petrol and R5.27 per litre for diesel.
In an interview with Cape Talk, chairman Henry van der Merwe warned that some fuel stations may be forced to cut staff hours, reduce operating times, or close certain shifts if the situation does not improve.
He said that customers are changing their behaviour, with many motorists no longer filling their tanks fully and instead buying smaller amounts of fuel at a time to manage costs.
Van der Merwe said this drop in demand is adding pressure on stations, along with rising expenses such as electricity, security and wages, which continue regardless of how much fuel is sold.
“It’s really, it’s hard, specifically the smaller sites, you know, the rural areas, those people are fighting and saying we can’t afford just to open at night because of security risks, because of low litres at night, so these are going to be, in the rural areas, it’s going to be a security supply issue, because people are talking of retrenching people because they can’t afford the shorter hours, and that’s for the whole country.
“That’s not a good thing; that’s not what we want, but that’s what is happening on the ground; the fuel retailers are also suffering”.
mthobisi.nozulela@iol.co.za
IOL Business