Author: Stuff writer

Many South African motorists are still reeling from the R3/l+ petrol and diesel price hikes inflicted upon them this October. The potential for some more government relief does ease the sting a bit, but not by much. Early data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) suggests that November will be yet another rough month for drivers. A rough month ahead That might not seem possible considering October’s official adjustments sent inland petrol prices soaring beyond R30/l for the first time in South Africa’s history. And until the government confirms a cut to the general fuel levies, we’ll likely be stuck…

Petrol and diesel price hikes are showing no signs of slowing down after the official adjustments for October brought inland petrol prices over R30/l for the first time in South Africa’s history. It’s an even uglier sight for diesel drivers, who saw their fuel expenses touch R33/l, with early figures promising another hike in November. Some relief may be on the way, however. The Standing Committee on Appropriations has adopted its report on the Second Special Appropriation Bill. If that didn’t manage to permeate your suburban brain, we’ve got you covered. The bill proposes the withdrawal of R10 billion from…

Apple’s next-gen streamer may never let you lose the remote again Now that Apple has deemed the original Apple TV 4K from 2017 ‘vintage’, what better time to announce something new? That, apparently, is exactly what’s happening, with the likeliest culprit for a debut being the upcoming ‘Welcome Home’event, scheduled for tomorrow. But what does it actually bring to the table? A new chip, certainly. Older reports reckoned the streamer would incorporate an A17 or A17 Pro chip, the cheapest way of ensuring it’ll get Siri’s new AI smarts. More recent scuttlebutt suggests it’ll get something a tad more robust,…

Another day, another plug-in hybrid bakkie entering the country. This time, that honour is afforded to GWM, kitting out its P300 bakkie series with a plug-in variant for the first time. A bit of a mouthful: the GWM P300 2.0T Pioneer Hi4-T PHEV is also the most expensive of the bunch, beating out the former R700,000 flagship. If you’re serious about taking GWM’s hybrid tech home with you, you’ll need to lay out R915,000. You’re getting a pretty powerful petrol engine coupled with an even better electric motor. GWM’s no slouch when it comes to making a good-looking bakkie, and…

Someone, please take us back to 1985, when the biggest problem facing motorists was the R1/l price of petrol. It’s a far cry from the absurd fuel prices plaguing Saffas in 2026, with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) officially confirming an R3/l+ hike for October, sending petrol prices soaring above R30/l. Those new prices will kick in on the morning of Wednesday, 7 October. Unless you want to pay more for your petrol, you’ll want to get down to the nearest fueling station. Uh… now. It’s an equally dire situation for the country’s diesel drivers, who will be…

The rumoured OLED MacBook gets an internal refresh We’ve all heard the legends of a MacBook boasting a touchscreen OLED display. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has told the story around the campfire (his Power On newsletter) so many times, it might have slipped into actual myth. But now it seems that Apple is finally nearing release, with the latest rumours claiming a November debut. When it finally hits shelves, the MacBook Pro is rumoured to use the Fruit Company’s existing M5 and M5 Pro chips, all inside a thinner design. It’ll be “significantly lighter,” too, according to Gurman, thanks to Apple shuffling…

Pain. That’s all the predicted petrol and diesel price adjustments for October are good for. The latest data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), captured on 22 September, tells us that South Africa’s fuel prices aren’t going to be pretty. Diesel, it seems, will come worse off than all the rest, with a massive R3/litre hike on the cards. A record-breaking October? If you thought the mid-month predictions for October were bad, it’s nothing compared to what motorists are currently facing. It’s not just a rough month for diesel drivers, with petrol drivers possibly looking at record-high prices in the…

Starship will have a proper go at orbital flight… next week Clear your calendars; SpaceX’s Starship is no longer gunning for its 14th launch tomorrow, 22 September, despite the intent. Citing nothing, SpaceX confirmed the launch will now go ahead on Monday, 28 September — aiming for a 75-minute launch window at 8h15 Eastern Time. For Saffas, that’ll take place at 14h15 on the same day. What makes this launch special — more special than the thirteen others, anyway — is that this will mark Starship’s first-ever orbital flight. Those that came before it have all been sub-orbital while SpaceX ironed…

Apple iPhone Duo Max. That’s it. That’s the headline Now that Apple has stepped into the foldable arena (rather tentatively, we might add), the question is: what’s next? Heck, Apple hasn’t even launched the Duo, and Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman already has some ideas. One of those is a larger iPhone Duo Max, ideally dwarfing the 7.6in display the Duo currently rocks. That’s not surprising. It’d be like stepping foot into a McDonald’s and being shocked to see the Bigger Mac on the menu. The ‘Duo’ name itself lends itself to Apple’s spin-off dreams. While a Duo Max seems likely, it’d be…

If you thought September’s official petrol and diesel price hike was bad, October’s fuel price predictions will have you wishing you’d stayed there. According to the latest snapshot from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), captured on 10 September, South Africa’s fuel pumps are due for another hike. As much as R2/l, in the case of petrol. Petrol could take a beating in October Things aren’t looking much better for diesel, though the outlook has certainly improved since the last time we did this. Then, a R2.41/l increase was on the cards for diesel prices. A week later, the numbers point…