5 ways to spend your e-toll windfall
With the brakes being put on the implementation of SANRAL’s e-toll system, following an interdict on Saturday (28 April 2012), users of Gauteng’s highway network can breath a temporary sigh of relief.
One of SANRAL’s many controversial proposals would see registered e-tag holders charged a capped monthly toll-fee of R550.00, or R6,600 annually.
The project was due to kick in on Monday (30 April 2012) however, thanks to the interdict motorists will have some cash at their disposal. BusinessTech looks at at least five ways commuters can better spend their money.
1. Uncapped ADSL account
With the recent IPC cut that was implemented on 1 April 2012, ISPs in South Africa have started rolling out new packages, reduced prices and started adding more value to their uncapped ADSL offerings.
This has brought uncapped ADSL prices down to the lowest prices they’ve ever been – and with MWEB, Axxess, Openweb and now Imaginet, you can get a 4 Mbps uncapped ADSL account from R469 – R539 per month (excluding line rental).
Uncapped ADSL for less than a capped toll fee.
2. 45 Litres of petrol
From Wednesday 2 May 2012, petrol prices in South Africa are expected to go up by a further 28 cents per litre, bringing the total per-litre cost of petrol to R12.22 (for 95 unleaded).
For the same price as a capped monthly toll fee, you can get yourself approximately 45 litres of petrol at the new retail price, which, depending on the car you drive, is about a full tank.
3. High-end smartphone
Want to find the best routes to avoid using toll roads? There’s an app for that.
And if you’d much rather fiddle with apps than toll-fees, then the money you save avoiding toll roads can quite easily pay the way for an iPhone 4S from MTN or Vodacom.
Vodacom currently offers the 16GB iPhone 4S with 500MB data for R529.00 over 24 months, while MTN has the same iPhone on an MTN 200 contract for R499.00 per month for 24 months.
If you’re not a fan of Apple’s smartphone, you could always get a Blackberry Bold 9900 (R449.00 per month from Vodacom) or the Samsung Galaxy Nexus (R522.00 per month from Virgin Mobile).
4. Two iPad 3s from FNB
With the launch of the Apple iPad 3 (also referred to as “the new iPad”, third generation iPad or iPad HD) FNB cut the prices of its special iPad 2 offering for account holders.
Now, for R259.00, payable over 24 months, you can pick up an Apple iPad 3 16GB Wi-Fi + 4G – less than half of a capped e-toll fee. So why not get two?
If you prefer, the iPad 2 is also still available at its reduced price of R219 per month.
The offer is limited to one per banking customer, so share the love with your wife, best friend, or whoever was going to split the e-toll fee with you in the carpool.
FNB’s smartphone and tablet offerings are available to gold and platinum cheque account, as well as private client account holders, and don’t include the account fees.
5. 23 Telkom shares
For anyone who’s keen on a business proposition, you could always take your toll-fees and invest in some IT shares.
For R550.00 you can get about 23 Telkom (TKG) shares, securing your 0,000004% stake in the encumbent’s 520 million outstanding shares. In just 250,000 years, you can push your stake up to 1%.
The recent reports that the partnership deal between Telkom and Korea’s KT Corp is making progress, may mean there might even be a return on that investment, should things push through, and the market reacts positively.
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