[imagesource:gencraftai]

If folks have not stayed over in the Mother City since last (long) weekend, to make a full week and a bit of it, then they’ll likely be taking their journeys today or tomorrow sometime for the Easter weekend.

But holy easter egg, can we just talk about how expensive it is to get between Joburg, Durban and Cape Town right now?

With elevated fuel prices being a continuous burden on Saffas, and hefty flight costs between the major cities, not to mention how inflated they become around public holidays, it can feel outright unaffordable for some.

BusinessTech ran the numbers to figure out which is the cheapest mode of transport for getting from A to B over this long weekend and found that the cost of making a round trip from Joburg to Cape Town or Durban by the road still works out to be cheaper than the air ticket alternative.

Travelling with a family of three, four, or five is waaaaay cheaper on the road than in the sky, because you’re not paying for everybody’s individual flight tickets but shoving them all into one vehicle and calling it a day, or two.

The weakening of South Africa’s currency during 2023/24 and the geopolitical tensions have led to a rise in global oil prices, which has in turn led to an increase in fuel costs.

Currently, the inland price for 95 petrol for March stands at R24.45 – an increase of R1.21 per litre from February 2024.

According to PwC’s latest economic outlook for South Africa, petrol and diesel prices have increased by 22% and 41%, respectively, over the last two years.

The airline industry is also battling heavy fuel costs, and since it is what constitutes around 50% of their operating expenses, it has really impacted ticket prices.

In the last three years, FlySafair has reported a 223% surge in jet fuel costs from October 2020 to October 2023, surpassing the overall inflation rate. The airline highlighted that the prices of jet fuel, the exchange rate between the rand and the dollar, and a shortage of skilled maintenance workers are the major factors that directly impact ticket prices.

So then, considering the price of a round trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town – a distance of 1,400km – with the most popular cars per vehicle type, plus the R233 charge for the four toll gates, it is more cost-effective to just take the long haul and drive versus fly.

Ponder the details to compare:

Image: BusinessTech

Image: BusinessTech

Besides the advantage of saving time and possibly being safer, flights are much more expensive than driving to both Cape Town and Durban, with flights sitting at averages of R5,691 and R4,310, respectively.

This makes driving 17% cheaper when travelling to Cape Town and a whopping 43% cheaper if you’re travelling to Durban.

You just have to mind the potholes, drunk drivers, blue light brigade, toll gates, and the kids in the back asking “Are we there yet?” every five minutes.

Safe travels, everyone. We’re going nowhere for Easter, so see you at Café Caprice for sundowners.

[source:businesstech]