(Photo: Pieter Cloete/Maroela Media)
South Africans are buying less fuel, driving less and visiting the petrol station less as the effects of successive fuel price increases are felt more and more strongly.
According to data from Discovery Insure, motorists bought 23% less fuel and made 17% fewer fuel transactions in May than in January and February. South Africans also drove 9% less on average.
The analysis is based on telematics and fuel card data from more than 200,000 Discovery Insure customers.
“When we compare this to the last few years, we rarely see changes of more than 1% in fuel demand and driving behaviour. What we are seeing now reflects the real financial pressures people are under,” says Robert Attwell, chief executive of Discovery Insure.
According to Attwell, despite driving less and buying less fuel, motorists are still spending 15% more on fuel than in January and February.
“Simply put: Motorists spend more money and get less fuel for it.”
The data shows that diesel drivers made the biggest adjustments. They drove 10.9% less in May, compared to petrol drivers who reduced their driving distances by 8.9%.
(Photo: Nico Strydom/Maroela Media)
Also read: Fuel shock: SA’ers already drive 35% less
Women drivers also adjusted their driving behavior more than men. Women drove 9.5% less, compared to 8.6% for men.
Younger drivers between 20 and 30 showed the least change in their travel habits, driving just 6.8% less. Drivers between 50 and 60 years of age reduced their driving distances by 10%.
According to Attwell, this suggests that younger drivers may have fewer alternatives to get to work, making it harder to limit travel when fuel costs rise.
Provincially, the Western Cape recorded the biggest decrease in travel distances, with motorists driving 15% less. The Northern Cape followed with 14%, while the Eastern Cape showed a decrease of 10%. Limpopo recorded the smallest change at just 2.6%, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 5.5% and Gauteng at 6.6%.
The trend follows sharp fuel price increases in April and May. According to Statistics South Africa, fuel prices rose by 18.2% in April compared to the previous month, the largest monthly increase since the current fuel index was introduced in 2008. Petrol prices rose by 15.2%, while diesel prices shot up by 35.4%.
Attwell believes that South Africans no longer adapt their habits only temporarily.
“People are rethinking their long-term driving habits as the pressure on household budgets increases.”