Petrol is going down … by one cent

Here's what you'll pay from midnight. As South Africans head to the polls for the local government elections this week, motorists face a brutal blow at the pumps, with petrol prices set to increase from Wednesday. The petrol price hike is expected to put further pressure on households already under strain and may prompt motorists with petrol-guzzling cars to consider more fuel-efficient or electric vehicles. Prices The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) announced that both 93-octane and 95-octane petrol will decrease by 1 cent per litre. The price of diesel with 0.05% (500ppm) sulphur will decrease by R1.09 per litre, while 0.005% (50ppm) sulphur will go down by R1.19 per litre. Meanwhile, illuminating paraffin will cost R2.75 more per litre, and LP gas will increase by R1.83 per kilogramme countrywide and by R2.08 per kg in the Western Cape. How much will fuel cost you? When the fuel price adjustment kicks in, 93 unleaded petrol will cost R29.87 per litre, while 95 unleaded petrol will be R30.24 per litre. The wholesale price of 0.05% (500ppm) diesel will decrease to R30.86 per litre, and 0.005% (50ppm) will cost R31.60 per litre. Reasons for the adjustments DMRE spokesperson Lerato Ntsoko stated that several factors, including international petroleum product prices and the rand-dollar (United States dollar) exchange rate, contributed to the increase in petrol and diesel prices. Brent crude oil price Ntsoko said the average Brent Crude oil price increased from 1.01 US Dollars (USD) to 1.08 USD during the period under review. “The increase is due to uncertainty caused by Middle East conflict, including the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia infrastructure, as well as high freight and insurance costs caused by ship-to-ship transfers.” Rand/US dollar exchange rate Ntsoko said the Rand depreciated on average against the US Dollar (from R16.21 to R16.55 per USD) during the period under review, compared to the previous one. “This led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and Illuminating Paraffin.” Short-term Relief Measure to Address Fuel Price Increases The Minister of Finance announced in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS) last month a temporary reduction in the general fuel levy of R1.50 per litre for petrol and R3.00 per litre for diesel, effective from the 4th of November 2026.