Author: Melissa Cohen

Traffic fines are not only inconvenient, but they just feel like a waste of money. What once might have been a R100 traffic fine has now become R500. No, you are not imagining things, but if you reside in the Western Cape, the fine prices have increased at an alarming rate. Unlike the rest of the country that runs on the Criminal Procedure Act or AARTO when dishing out fines, the Western Cape created its own Traffic Law Enforcement Code Book. After closer inspection at the fine prices, it is clear that Western Cape residents are forced to pay almost…

Would you have believed it if I told you that the most fuel-efficient car in SA is a Renault. WesBank and FNB created the first Fuel Economy Tour where Renault was given the prize for the most fuel-efficient car in South Africa. The event was hosted to give drivers an accurate fuel consumption of over 40 of the most driven cars in South Africa. The tour took place on the 16th of November 2019 and lasted a full 5 days. The 32 vehicle classes took place including Fiat, Toyota, Lexus, Ford, Nissan, Honda etc. All the participating cars were driven…

There has been an intense decline in the purchasing of new and used cars being financed in Q1 of this year. We all know that the decline in sales has been caused by the same thing affecting most industries in a negative way…COVID-19. There has been a decline in sales of 35% for new vehicles and 31% of secondhand vehicles sold compared to the same time last year. New car sales have decreased by 98.2% in April due to the nationwide lockdown in South Africa. According to the National Association of Automobile of South Africa (Naamsa) only 574 cars have…

If we thought the VAT increase, petrol price hikes and sin tax was enough- brace yourself for another excessive expense. With the introduction of the new demerit system, South African motorists can expect to pay exorbitant penalties should they ‘step out of line’. But how is the government able to get away with, once again, overcharging their citizens in order to salvage their own mistakes? With the new Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act of course! What is the AARTO Act? Dubbed by some as some kind of “nightmare”, the Aarto Act was passed in August 2019 with the aim…

We know things have been tough with the Coronavirus and SA’s National lockdown. Many South Africans are losing their jobs as businesses are struggling to keep from going under. South Africans need all the financial help that we can get during this struggle. We did some research because we feel like South Africans should know about the insurance that is included in their loan that will cover your debt payments should they get retrenched. Ever heard of Credit Life Insurance? Majority of us haven’t as credit life insurance is built into your personal loan, mortgage, student loan, credit card etc.…

South Africans are in a full panic about the new pandemic, the Coronavirus. But we need to understand that panic doesn’t serve anyone, we have full right to be nervous and cautious and so we should be. Panic purchases for “doomsday” doesn’t help and is just going to leave consumers with an excess amount of toilet paper and packed freezers of meat and a shortage for those consumers who can’t afford to panic buy and are left with nothing. This is why it’s important to take precautions but stay levelheaded and look at the statistics that have been released: …

With the fuel tax implementation and the steady increase in the petrol price in 2019, it was a challenging year for all car owners. Despite all of this, the Road Traffic Management Corporation(RTMC) has now added an extra expense to the mix. As of last year, South African motorists have to pay an increase of 14% towards car licence fees. This increase has been recorded as the second increase in just over a year. What Is This Fee? According to the RTMC, all licencing centres nationwide are required to pay a transaction fee for every vehicle processed. This is essentially…

Although taxis provide a cheaper form of transport for many people across the country, they have become feared by many drivers and pedestrians around South Africa. Not only have taxis increased the stress of driving and road rage, but a peaceful drive down the road has become a game of dodge ‘em cars or taxis in this case. Sometimes taxi drivers pull out the fast moves and it is too late- you find yourself in a fender bender or worse with them. If you do, however, find yourself hit by a taxi, here are some tips to prevent further damage.…

Have you had to deal with bad service and claim rejections from your insurer? Or have you been lucky enough to get top class service from the minute you signed on the dotted line? Well… the results are in and we release the best and worst insurance companies taking SA by storm in 2019. And the Most Complaints Received Goes To… For the second year in a row, Absa Insurance has been given the title of being the most complained about insurer in South Africa. With 800 complaints being put forward to the Ombudsman this past year, Absa Insurance has…

An estimated 1.25 million people died from road injuries in 2015 and 20-50 million people sustained serious injuries from road traffic incidents. These are stats according to the latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report.  WHO has stated the following, “Over 90% of road traffic deaths occur in low-middle income countries, which account for 82% of the world’s population, but only 54% of the world’s registered vehicles” We conducted some of our own research and have tabulated 15 of the most dangerous roads in the world. With the most dangerous road being located in Libya. So Where Does SA Fit In? South…