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By Faizel Patel

Senior Digital Journalist


WATCH: Pills to save petrol… Do you really need to be told this is a bad idea?

'Rather rely on the experts, don’t follow anything you've seen on Twitter or TikTok and Instagram.'


With another petrol price hike on the cards, motorists have been looking for weird and wonderful ways to save on petrol.

Two videos have emerged and gone viral on social media platform TikTok, showing drivers using a fuel pill which they say helps in saving petrol.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Tolla van der Merwe saw these massive petrol prices coming

Speaking in isiZulu, a woman in one of the videos starts her car showing her fuel gauge with a range for 80km

She says the tablet is available for just R100.

“Pour it, when its full I’ll drive in it and will show what happens to the kilometres. With your R100 you can buy the pill, fill up and boom you’re ready to go, it boosts the engine and performance.”

Another driver also posted a video on TikTok talking about the pill saying he uses half a pill at a time because he pours only half a tank and it helps him in saving petrol.

Nhlanhla Gumede commented on the video, saying the pill is not something new and he knows it from when he used to be a long-distance taxi driver.

However, he warned that the effects are not good.

“If you intend in using the pill then also make sure you save up for an engine overhaul.”

Speaking to The Citizen, editor of the Arrive Alive website John Jonck says people should be very cautious of misinformation when looking for ways to save petrol.

“There will be a lot of fake news doing the rounds. We do understand the enormous pressure on the public with the fuel prices. This is not the first time we’ve seen this. We need to caution the public against using any of these substances.”

Jonck says using unknown, unapproved, and untested substances can cause extensive to cars.

“Rather rely on the experts, don’t follow anything you’ve seen on Twitter or TikTok and Instagram.”

Jonck says there is likely to be another hike in the petrol price at the end of June depending on the price of Brent Crude and Rand/Dollar exchange rate, urging government to be lenient on motorists with regard to the taxes and levies imposed on the petrol price.

South Africans are paying massive prices for petrol at the pumps – the highest in history of the country – which is burning a hole in their pockets.

Following the latest increase by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, minus the fuel levy, 93 octane unleaded now costs R23.94 (95 octane R24.17) per litre, while diesel 50ppm will set you back about R23.22 per litre.

If you have a car with a 60-litre petrol tank, to fill it up with 93 octane would cost a whopping R1,436.40.

ALSO READ: Massive petrol price hike from 1 June – Here’s how much you’ll pay per litre

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