The Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) is calling on the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to add N-methylaniline to South Africa's petrol specification and to begin testing it.
The call follows an amaBhungane investigation, published on 17 September 2026, into dealings between PetroSA, which is owned by the state, and junior fuel trader Nako Energy. The publication reports that Nako applied to the Western Cape Division of the High Court for an order placing PetroSA under provisional liquidation. PetroSA confirmed that it will oppose the application (Moneyweb, 18 September 2026).
The AA takes no position on the merits of the dispute. Its concern is the three consequences that reach motorists, fleet operators and taxpayers: how fuel quality is regulated, how public liabilities are transferred, and who holds the country's fuel stock.
The publication reports that an internal PetroSA investigation found that petrol had "reacted to car paint", and that affected vehicles were repainted by panel beaters in Mossel Bay. It also reports that Sasol and Astron Energy found more than six percent of N-methylaniline in the product, against a recommended level of around 1.2 percent cited by the Fuels Industry Association. The additive is banned as a fuel additive in Europe, China and Russia. In South Africa it is neither banned nor tested for.
"A specification that does not test for a substance is not a specification. It is a document," says Bobby Ramagwede, chief executive officer of the AA. "Motorists on the Garden Route bought petrol at ordinary forecourts, watched the paint come off their cars, and paid the panel beater for the repairs themselves."
AmaBhungane reports that PetroSA owes SARS R4 billion and more than R700 million to the fuel trader Addax, and that it closed the 2023 financial year with R3.5 billion in unpaid trade payables. It further reports that Plane Tree Capital, which now holds Nako's claim, has demanded R620 519 979 plus interest.
"Before a single liability is transferred, we also call for a full audited schedule of what the public is absorbing to be tabled," Bobby says.
The AA cautions against describing the matter as the end of domestic refining. The Mossel Bay gas to liquids plant stopped producing as far back as 2020.
"Liquidation would not close a working refinery. It would formalise a closure that happened six years ago," Bobby says.
The AA is asking for a published test method and a date for the first test, a national testing regime with quarterly results, an audited schedule of PetroSA's liabilities before Parliament votes on the South African National Petroleum Company Bill, a clear route to redress for affected motorists, and monthly publication of national days of cover for petrol and diesel. It is also asking fleet operators, logistics companies and independent retailers to require a certificate of analysis with every bulk fuel delivery and to keep a retention sample of each load.
Isuzu Motors South Africa will launch its Next Generation N-Series in November, bringing new technology and design updates to improve efficiency, safety, driver comfort, and operating value for commercial vehicle fleets.
Range anxiety remains one of the main concerns for motorists considering a switch to electrified vehicles, particularly in markets where charging infrastructure is still developing. iCAUR believes its new V27 SUV offers an alternative by combining electric driving capability with extended driving range through a range-extender powertrain.
UD Trucks Southern Africa has strengthened its presence in the Eastern Cape with the opening of UD Trucks Komani, a new dealership that joins the manufacturer's growing South African dealer network.
Advertisement
Advertisement
You can't buy happiness but you can buy cars and that's kind of the same thing.
Unknown
Isuzu Motors South Africa has invested close to R30 million in its commercial vehicle assembly plant in Gqeberha, introducing a series of upgrades aimed at improving manufacturing capability, production efficiency and employee safety.
Managing repair costs and minimising downtime remain key priorities for fleet operators, particularly when major truck components require replacement.
With Transport Month placing fresh attention on the movement of goods across South Africa, fuel efficiency has become one of the most important issues facing fleet operators.
