South Africa has seen a surprising rise in the import of illuminating Paraffin from 600 000 kilolitres to 1.2 million kilolitres. This has been attributed to the mixing of diesel with paraffin by smaller players in the petroleum industry.
According to the AA, the cheap diesel is being sold across the country, particularly in Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces.
Paraffin mixed with diesel can not be detected by smell or touch and does not cause immediate damage to the engines. However, the practice is frowned upon by branded service stations as the smaller players are undercutting their business.
The South Africa Revenue Service (SARS)has introduced a marker into paraffin which can be detected by officials using hand held devices to reduce revenue loses.
