Press Releases
The Automobile Association (AA) advocates for consumer rights. It also provides useful information to consumers on all aspects of mobility and road use. Read our articles below for more information.
I need help choosing a product
"*" indicates required fields
Plan ahead for motoring peace-of-mind
Do you know the difference between a service plan and a maintenance plan? What about a factory warranty, and an extended factory warranty? For many consumers, particularly first-time car buyers, understanding these options can be confusing, and stressful. Many buyers also don’t know what their rights are and whether these products are optional or mandatory. “When buying a vehicle, it’s important...
Rand weighs heavily on fuel picture
Sudden Rand weakness after a lengthy period of stability has put pressure on the fuel price and left South African fuel users at the mercy of international oil markets. This is according to the unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund. Based on the current data, petrol is showing an increase of up to ten cents a litre, illuminating paraffin 12 cents, and diesel as...
Focus on e-tolls in second open letter from the AA to Minister of Transport
Dear Minister Mbalula, In June we congratulated you on your appointment and outlined several areas of our transport environment we believe need urgent attention. These included road safety, the AARTO legislation, law enforcement, and pedestrian safety. In this spirit of playing an active role as a partner to the Department of Transport, we would like to engage with you on the issue of road...
Fuel in the red on exchange rate woes
Weakness in the Rand is expected to drive fuel prices higher in September. This is according to the unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund. According to the figures, 95 octane will rise by ten cents a litre, and diesel by 25 cents. Illuminating paraffin is also expected to climb by 21 cents. The only positive out of the latest figures is 93 octane which is...
Four star progress but poor child protection in latest #SaferCarsForAfrica results
Global NCAP and the Automobile Association of South Africa launch the third round of #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results today with the welcome support of the FIA Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The three models tested show reasonable safety performance for adult occupants but disappointing results for child occupant protection. The models tested by Global NCAP are the Toyota Avanza,...
New campaign for car and motorcycle safety launches in SA
For the first time in Africa, the #StopTheCrash Partnership hosts live demonstrations of crash avoidance technologies in support of the United Nations Global Goals and the Decade of Action for Road Safety. Launched at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in Johannesburg with the support of the Automobile Association (AA) of South Africa, the #StopTheCrash Partnership event has a special focus on the...
Fuel relief as oil eases
Retreating oil prices have painted a rosier picture for South African fuel users than has been the case for much of 2019. This is according to the unaudited mid-month fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund. At this stage of the month, we are predicting a decrease of 91 cents/litre to the petrol to the petrol price, 70 cents to the diesel price, and 62 cents to illuminating paraffin....
Open letter to new Minister of Transport
Dear Minister Mbalula, Congratulations on your appointment to a key Ministry in the South African government. You become the eighth minister of this department since 1994, and we pledge our support to you, as we have done with Mr Maharaj in 1994, Dr Nzimande last year, and all the other Ministers and Deputy Ministers in between. Yours is not an easy task. But we know you fear nothing. Through...
AA and Kinsey Report form new part(s)nership
The 2019 Kinsey Report has arrived and, for the first time in its 29-year history, will be co-branded with the Automobile Association (AA). This partnership between the author Malcolm Kinsey and the AA means the report will from now on officially be known as the AA-Kinsey Report. “We are thrilled to partner with Malcolm on this important research he does annually – notably without any financial...
Fuel set for July breather
Lower international oil prices throughout June have set up a substantial fuel price drop for July, and the reduction could have been greater had it not been for the Rand. This is according to the unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund. We are expecting petrol to drop by 86 cents a litre, diesel by 68 cents, and illuminating paraffin by 58 cents next month. June...
Automobile Association and Essilor announce collaboration
Identifying uncorrected poor vision as a key road safety challenge, Essilor, the world leader in ophthalmic optics, and the Automobile Association (AA) have joined forces to launch a series of initiatives to improve road safety by improving road users’ vision. During the FIA World Conference, held from 29 April to 3 May 2019 at Sun City, The Automobile Association of South Africa, a member of...
Some improvements on entry-level safety – but more must be done
The 2019 Automobile Association (AA) Entry-Level Vehicle Safety Report that assesses safety features on entry-level vehicles shows there have been improvements to the safety of entry-level vehicles, but that more can and must be done in this market. This is the third instalment of this report. The 2019 report considered the safety features of 27 vehicles available in South Africa currently...