A firmer rand is bringing much-needed relief to South African motorists.
Since the end of July, the rand has gained as much as 72 cents against the US dollar to trade at around R17.48, driven by a weaker dollar.

For South African consumers, this matters because the country is a net importer of oil, which is priced in dollars. As the rand appreciates, the cost to land each litre of fuel falls, delivering direct savings at the pump.

The impact extends well beyond filling a tank. When the price of fuel drops, so do the costs for businesses that move goods across the country, from trucks delivering groceries to supermarkets to hauliers moving building materials to construction sites. Cheaper transport means businesses face less pressure to pass higher costs on to consumers, helping to steady the price of everyday essentials for millions of households.

A stronger rand does more than make imported goods affordable. It supports the wider economy by bringing down transport and living costs for ordinary South Africans.