Energy disruptions triggered by the Middle East war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran and its subsequent blockade by the US, has sent shockwaves through global oil markets, forcing countries to scramble for alternative energy supplies.
As prices surge and supply chains tighten, the impact has been uneven but widely felt. Several European countries including Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands, are grappling with steep increases in electricity and gas prices. Across Africa, countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya and Zambia face acute shortages and rising import bills they can scarcely afford.
South Africa, meanwhile, is contending with the knock-on effect of global inflation, with Brent crude prices surging by as much as 60%, pushing up transport and fertiliser costs and, in turn, fuelling food and fuel price…
