MyJHB

Stuff from Johannesburg

AutoTrader’s Data Points to Diesel Decline as Fuel Costs Push Buyers Toward EVs

CEO George Mienie says a -18% drop in diesel enquiries, alongside rising demand for electric and hybrid vehicles, suggests South African motorists are starting to rethink traditional powertrain choices.

The unintended consequence of South Africa’s fuel crunch may be doing what policy and incentives have long struggled to achieve: pushing more motorists to consider electric vehicles over diesel.

According to George Mienie, CEO of AutoTrader, the platform’s latest on-site data suggests the market may already be starting to shift. Over the past four weeks, enquiries for diesel-powered passenger vehicles have declined by -18% compared to mid-February, a notable change in a country where diesel has long been a preferred option for motorists focused on fuel efficiency and long-distance driving. For years, it has occupied a comfortable middle ground between affordability, performance and range. But when fuel prices rise sharply, that equation starts to change. And consumers appear to react immediately.

At the same time, interest in alternative technologies is rising sharply. Searches for battery electric vehicles are up +45% over the same period, while hybrid searches are up +16%, although that marks slower growth for hybrids than previously seen. Together, these shifts suggest that rising fuel costs are pushing many South Africans to reconsider their reliance on traditional fossil fuels.

What makes this shift more telling is that it is not just showing up in search behaviour. Demand is translating into action. Consumers are not only searching for alternatives, but also engaging with them more seriously as running costs come under pressure.

What is particularly notable is that this growing demand for battery electric vehicles is not yet being matched by stock availability. BEV listings are down -3% even as demand has risen sharply, pointing to a market where supply may already be tightening. That could reflect existing stock being bought up more quickly, while some current owners choose to hold onto their BEVs as fuel prices climb.

By contrast, diesel, petrol and hybrid stock supply have all edged higher. That suggests supply in the traditional market remains available, even as buyer attention begins to move elsewhere. It is that disconnect between shopper behaviour and available stock that makes this moment worth watching.

If demand for BEVs continues to rise while listings remain constrained, the used market could feel the effects first. Tighter supply and growing demand would likely put upward pressure on prices, particularly for well-priced second-hand electric vehicles.

None of this means diesel is disappearing overnight, or that South Africa has suddenly become an electric vehicle market. But an -18% change in diesel enquiries over four weeks is a meaningful signal, especially when it is happening alongside stronger interest in electric and hybrid alternatives.

If these trends continue, rising fuel costs may do more than squeeze household budgets. They may also have the unintended

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Museum Africa: Art Collection

The museum’s collection is staggering, housing approximately 850,000 objects that range from the prehistoric to the contemporary. It is one of the few institutions that attempts to tell the story of Southern Africa from the Stone Age to the nuclear age. The “Johannesburg Transformations” exhibition is the museum’s centerpiece, dragging the visitor through the chaotic evolution of the city. It doesn’t shy away from the grime; it features detailed reconstructions of “shack life,” the illegal “shebeens” (speakeasies) of the 1950s, and the vibrant but overcrowded “backyard rooms” that defined the black urban experience during Apartheid. One of its most sobering permanent displays is the “Tried for Treason” exhibit, which meticulously documents the 1956 Treason Trial. Visitors can see the portraits of all 156 accused—including Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, and Albertina Sisulu—and read the “little red books” placed beneath each photo, where the public is invited to write their own reflections and facts about these liberation icons.

Deep within the museum’s labyrinthine halls, you’ll find specialized branches that are world-class in their own right. The Bensusan Museum of Photography sits on the top floor, acting as a shrine to the visual history of the continent. It contains everything from rare 19th-century daguerreotypes to the legendary photojournalism of the Drum magazine era. Meanwhile, the Geology Museum houses over 17,000 specimens, including a definitive collection of the rocks and minerals that made Johannesburg possible. It is a place where you can see the actual gold-bearing conglomerate reefs of the Witwatersrand up close, stripped of their commercial value and presented as scientific wonders.