- Inland paraffin prices reached R28.43 a litre on Wednesday after a war involving the United States and Iran pushed costs up.
- Families who use paraffin for heating and cooking now have to choose between buying fuel, food or paying for school.
Families across South Africa face a cold and expensive winter. The price of inland illuminating paraffin jumped to R28.43 a litre on 6 May.
Just a month ago, paraffin cost R24.21 a litre. This R4.22 increase lands just as the winter season starts. People without a reliable electricity connection rely on paraffin. They use it to heat their rooms, light their spaces and cook their meals.
The price jump comes from global problems. A war involving the United States and Iran pushed world oil prices above $100 a barrel. A fuel pricing account deficit also added R1.23 to every litre of paraffin.
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This extra cost forces poor households to make hard choices. A family using 20 litres of paraffin a month will now pay R569. This is R85 more than they paid last month.
The extra money must come from somewhere. Families will have to spend less on food or school supplies. They might also take on more debt.
These families are already under heavy pressure. An April index shows that a minimum wage worker does not earn enough to buy basic food after paying for transport and electricity. A household food basket went up by R123.56 in April alone. Prices for onions and frozen chicken also jumped.
The government extended a R3 a litre petrol levy reduction in May to help drivers. But paraffin users received no help.
Winter lasts through August. Nights get very cold in the Free State, the KwaZulu-Natal midlands and the Western Cape interior. For people living in informal settlements or rural homes, a paraffin heater keeps them alive. Turning it off is not an option.
