{"id":193271,"date":"2025-09-03T13:12:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T13:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/?p=193271"},"modified":"2025-09-04T16:08:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T16:08:51","slug":"petrol-price-cut-unlikely-to-ease-food-price-pressures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/builder\/petrol-price-cut-unlikely-to-ease-food-price-pressures\/","title":{"rendered":"Petrol price cut unlikely to ease food price pressures"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post<\/a> was originally published on this site<\/a><\/p>

<\/p>\n

While consumers will be cheering at the reduction in fuel prices for September, experts have warned that it will do little for those battling the cost-of-living crisis in the country. <\/p>\n

The Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (DMRE) announced that petrol<\/span> <\/span>will<\/span> <\/span>decrease by 4 cents per litre for both 93 and 95 Unleaded, the second consecutive drop in as many months.<\/p>\n

Diesel with 0.05% sulphur <\/span>will<\/span> <\/span>fall by 56 cents per litre and 0.005% sulphur by 57 cents.<\/p>\n

The decreases <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>largely driven by rising production from OPEC+ and non-OPEC producers, weaker global economic <\/span>growth<\/span>, and fluctuating trade tariffs.<\/p>\n

While the <\/span>petrol<\/span> <\/span>cut offers limited relief to motorists, it <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>the diesel decrease that carries the greatest significance for <\/span>South Africa,<\/span> a country where nearly all goods, and particularly <\/span>food<\/span>, <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>transported by road.<\/p>\n

Recent CPI figures released by Stats <\/span>SA<\/span> <\/span>showed that annual consumer <\/span>price<\/span> <\/span>inflation rose to 3.5% in July 2025, up from 3.0% in June.<\/p>\n

The main contributors were <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>and non-alcoholic beverages (up 5.7%, contributing 1.0 percentage point) and housing and utilities (up 4.3%, contributing 1.0 percentage point).<\/p>\n

This confirmed that <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>remains one of the strongest drivers of inflation, leaving <\/span>South Africans<\/span> <\/span>struggling to keep up with the <\/span>cost<\/span> <\/span>of living.<\/p>\n

\u201cDiesel reductions always bring hope that transport costs <\/span>will<\/span> <\/span>filter down to <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>prices<\/span>, but sadly history <\/span>has<\/span> <\/span>shown this rarely happens in practice.  Consumers remain trapped by escalating <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>costs, even when input costs <\/span>ease<\/span>,\u201d Neil Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue said.<\/p>\n

Child hunger affects <\/span>millions <\/span>of children in <\/span>South Africa<\/span>, with far-reaching consequences for their health, education, and future prospects.<\/p>\n

Chronic hunger can lead to malnutrition, stunted <\/span>growth<\/span>, and impaired cognitive development, making it challenging for children to learn and thrive.<\/p>\n

Activist <\/span>Mark Heywood <\/span>of the Justice and Activism Hub (JAH) puts the figure at 11 000 per annum, a <\/span>crisis<\/span> <\/span>he believes can easily be rectified.<\/p>\n

He placed the responsibility squarely at the foot of the country\u2019s decision makers – leaders in government and business, attributing it to their failure to adequately tackle the <\/span>crisis<\/span>, with retailers\u2019 raking in massive profits made on <\/span>food<\/span>, while millions of children go hungry. <\/p>\n

He emphasised that the systematic monitoring of child health <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>absolutely essential at this point.<\/p>\n

The 2025 edition of The <\/span>State of <\/span>Food<\/span> <\/span>Security and Nutrition in the World portrays a distressing truth: while the world appears to be making cautious progress in reducing hunger, many countries in <\/span>Africa<\/span>, particularly in the Southern <\/span>African<\/span> <\/span>region, <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>moving in the opposite direction, with hunger continuing to rise in both absolute and proportional terms.<\/p>\n

Agriculture plays an important role in the process of economic development and can contribute significantly to household <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>security. <\/span><\/p>\n

South Africa<\/span>‘s rich agricultural heritage <\/span>has<\/span> <\/span>long been an integral component of the nation’s economy and cultural fabric, and the mandate of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) <\/span>focuses on developing agricultural value chains, providing agricultural inputs, and monitoring production and consumption in the agriculture sector, as well as facilitating comprehensive rural development.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>deeply disturbing that a country like ours, with its rich agricultural resources, <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>entertaining the deepening <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>crisis<\/span>, while <\/span>countries <\/span>in other parts of the globe <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>making good progress in turning the situation around and many succeeding in eradicating the scourge of hunger.  There <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>no<\/span> <\/span>question that this needs to be escalated as a matter of national urgency, or we <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>looking at a humanitarian <\/span>crisis<\/span> <\/span>the likes of which we have never seen before,\u201d Roets said.<\/p>\n

For many households, the reality <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>that wages <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>simply <\/span>not<\/span> <\/span>enough to cover basic monthly expenses.<\/p>\n

Electricity and transport absorb a significant share of income, leaving very little for <\/span>food<\/span>.<\/p>\n

As a result, families <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>increasingly forced to swipe credit cards, tap store accounts, or take out personal loans just to put <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>on the table and fuel in their cars.<\/p>\n

\u201cCredit <\/span>has<\/span> <\/span>become a survival tool rather than a means to improve one\u2019s standard of living,\u201d Roets added.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>seeing <\/span>growing<\/span> <\/span>numbers of consumers taking payday loans or revolving credit just to buy groceries. This creates a devastating cycle. They repay these debts with interest when their salary comes in, leaving them short again the very next month. It\u2019s a debt trap that keeps tightening and turns into a debt spiral.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latest Household Affordability Index from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) highlights this ongoing pressure.<\/p>\n

In August 2025, the average household <\/span>food<\/span> <\/span>basket <\/span>cost<\/span> <\/span>R5 380.62, while the average general worker\u2019s wage <\/span>was<\/span> <\/span>just R4 836.72, already a shortfall, before factoring in rent, transport, and electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cHope <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>fading for countless families. Despite temporary <\/span>cuts<\/span> <\/span>in fuel, the broader reality <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>that household incomes cannot keep up with rising costs. The unavoidable reliance on credit <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>driving over-indebtedness to record levels,\u201d warns Roets.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>deeply concerning that authorities <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>ignoring the writing on the wall,\u201d Roets added.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy advice to those who have fallen into a debt trap <\/span>is<\/span> <\/span>to seek help from a registered debt counsellor who can assist them to manage their financial predicament. This <\/span>has<\/span> <\/span>been a very successful solution for thousands of consumers who <\/span>are<\/span> <\/span>plagued by over-indebtedness,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA said that <\/b>UASA strongly urges its members and consumers to adhere to sound financial strategies, even as prices decrease.  <\/p>\n

BUSINESS REPORT <\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While consumers will be cheering at the reduction in fuel prices for September, experts have warned that it will do little for those battling the cost-of-living crisis in the country.\u00a0The Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (DMRE) announced that petrol\u00a0will\u00a0decrease by 4 cents per litre for both 93 and 95 Unleaded, the second consecutive drop in as many months.Diesel with 0.05% sulphur\u00a0will\u00a0fall by 56 cents per litre and 0.005% sulphur by 57 cents.The decreases\u00a0are\u00a0largely driven by rising production from OPEC+ and non-OPEC producers, weaker global economic\u00a0growth, and fluctuating trade tariffs.While the\u00a0petrol\u00a0cut offers limited relief to motorists, it\u00a0is\u00a0the diesel decrease that carries the greatest significance for\u00a0South Africa, a country where nearly all goods, and particularly\u00a0food,\u00a0are\u00a0transported by road.Recent CPI figures released by Stats\u00a0SA\u00a0showed that annual consumer\u00a0price\u00a0inflation rose to 3.5% in July 2025, up from 3.0% in June.The main contributors were\u00a0food\u00a0and non-alcoholic beverages (up 5.7%, contributing 1.0 percentage point) and housing and utilities (up 4.3%, contributing 1.0 percentage point).This confirmed that\u00a0food\u00a0remains one of the strongest drivers of inflation, leaving\u00a0South Africans\u00a0struggling to keep up with the\u00a0cost\u00a0of living.\u201cDiesel reductions always bring hope that transport costs\u00a0will\u00a0filter down to\u00a0food\u00a0prices, but sadly history\u00a0has\u00a0shown this rarely happens in practice.\u00a0 Consumers remain trapped by escalating\u00a0food\u00a0costs, even when input costs\u00a0ease,\u201d Neil Roets, CEO of Debt Rescue said.Child hunger affects\u00a0millions\u00a0of children in\u00a0South Africa, with far-reaching consequences for their health, education, and future prospects.Chronic hunger can lead to malnutrition, stunted\u00a0growth, and impaired cognitive development, making it challenging for children to learn and thrive.Activist\u00a0Mark Heywood\u00a0of the Justice and Activism Hub (JAH) puts the figure at 11\u00a0000 per annum, a\u00a0crisis\u00a0he believes can easily be rectified.He placed the responsibility squarely at the foot of the country\u2019s decision makers – leaders in government and business, attributing it to their failure to adequately tackle the\u00a0crisis, with retailers\u2019 raking in massive profits made on\u00a0food, while millions of children go hungry.\u00a0He emphasised that the systematic monitoring of child health\u00a0is\u00a0absolutely essential at this point.The 2025 edition of The\u00a0State of\u00a0Food\u00a0Security and Nutrition in the World portrays a distressing truth: while the world appears to be making cautious progress in reducing hunger, many countries in\u00a0Africa, particularly in the Southern\u00a0African\u00a0region,\u00a0are\u00a0moving in the opposite direction, with hunger continuing to rise in both absolute and proportional terms.Agriculture plays an important role in the process of economic development and can contribute significantly to household\u00a0food\u00a0security.\u00a0South Africa’s rich agricultural heritage\u00a0has\u00a0long been an integral component of the nation’s economy and cultural fabric, and the mandate of the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD)\u00a0focuses on developing agricultural value chains, providing agricultural inputs, and monitoring production and consumption in the agriculture sector, as well as facilitating comprehensive rural development.\u201cIt\u00a0is\u00a0deeply disturbing that a country like ours, with its rich agricultural resources,\u00a0is\u00a0entertaining the deepening\u00a0food\u00a0crisis, while\u00a0countries\u00a0in other parts of the globe\u00a0are\u00a0making good progress in turning the situation around and many succeeding in eradicating the scourge of hunger.\u00a0 There\u00a0is\u00a0no\u00a0question that this needs to be escalated as a matter of national urgency, or we\u00a0are\u00a0looking at a humanitarian\u00a0crisis\u00a0the likes of which we have never seen before,\u201d Roets said.For many households, the reality\u00a0is\u00a0that wages\u00a0are\u00a0simply\u00a0not\u00a0enough to cover basic monthly expenses.Electricity and transport absorb a significant share of income, leaving very little for\u00a0food.As a result, families\u00a0are\u00a0increasingly forced to swipe credit cards, tap store accounts, or take out personal loans just to put\u00a0food\u00a0on the table and fuel in their cars.\u201cCredit\u00a0has\u00a0become a survival tool rather than a means to improve one\u2019s standard of living,\u201d Roets added.\u201cWe\u00a0are\u00a0seeing\u00a0growing\u00a0numbers of consumers taking payday loans or revolving credit just to buy groceries. This creates a devastating cycle. They repay these debts with interest when their salary comes in, leaving them short again the very next month. It\u2019s a debt trap that keeps tightening and turns into a debt spiral.\u201dThe latest Household Affordability Index from the Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group (PMBEJD) highlights this ongoing pressure.In August 2025, the average household\u00a0food\u00a0basket\u00a0cost\u00a0R5 380.62, while the average general worker\u2019s wage\u00a0was\u00a0just R4 836.72, already a shortfall, before factoring in rent, transport, and electricity.\u201cHope\u00a0is\u00a0fading for countless families. Despite temporary\u00a0cuts\u00a0in fuel, the broader reality\u00a0is\u00a0that household incomes cannot keep up with rising costs. The unavoidable reliance on credit\u00a0is\u00a0driving over-indebtedness to record levels,\u201d warns Roets.\u201cIt\u00a0is\u00a0deeply concerning that authorities\u00a0are\u00a0ignoring the writing on the wall,\u201d Roets added.\u201cMy advice to those who have fallen into a debt trap\u00a0is\u00a0to seek help from a registered debt counsellor who can assist them to manage their financial predicament. This\u00a0has\u00a0been a very successful solution for thousands of consumers who\u00a0are\u00a0plagued by over-indebtedness,\u201d he said.Meanwhile, Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA said that UASA strongly urges its members and consumers to adhere to sound financial strategies, even as prices decrease. \u00a0BUSINESS REPORT\u00a0<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36999,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-193271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-builder"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193271"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":193272,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193271\/revisions\/193272"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36999"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premium-partners.net\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}