Hello Mabs
I don’t really follow current affairs closely; most of what I know comes from social media. After seeing what is happening in Venezuela, I expected fuel prices to skyrocket. Instead, South Africa has just seen a big fuel drop. I’m confused. What actually causes fuel prices to go up and down, and is there any way to keep them more stable?
Mabs Answers
This is a great question, thank you for asking it. The confusion is understandable. Fuel pricing feels mysterious because so much of it is out of our control. In South Africa, fuel prices are mainly influenced by two big things: the international oil price and the rand–dollar exchange rate. Even if oil prices drop globally, a weak rand can cancel out that benefit. This week’s fuel drop happened because oil prices softened and the rand held up better.
Sadly, we can’t fully control fuel prices because we import most of our fuel and are tied to global markets. What we can control is how we drive and plan, smoother driving, fewer unnecessary trips and choosing fuel-efficient cars all help soften the impact. Stability starts with awareness, not panic.
