FUEL retailers are appealing to the government to support their sector citing that the lack of its assistance hindered all attempts to transform the sector. Picture: Karen Sandison African News Agency (ANA)

Why South Africa’s petrol stations are struggling – despite record high fuel prices

Reggie Sibiya, chief executive of the Fuel Retailers Association says South Africa’s fuel retailers face many challenges – both on the fuel supply side and on the retailing side – as they try and balance onerous legislative and industry standards, with declining volumes and profits.

A myriad regulations underpinned by various legislations, contractual agreements, South African Bureau of Standards, bargaining councils and recent Protection of Personal Information Act were making the fuel retailing sector a challenging area for upcoming entrepreneurs to navigate, said industry body.

The complexity of the fuel retailing sector and the myriad of issues that surround it are enough to make anyone’s head spin.