South Africans will see a mixed bag at the fuel pumps from Wednesday, 6 August.

The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has announced fuel price changes driven by international oil prices, supply issues, and a stronger rand.

Petrol drops by 28 cents a litre, but diesel rises by up to 65 cents, at midnight tonight.

Illuminating paraffin increases by up to 43 cents, while LPGas falls by as much as 78 cents per kilogram in the Western Cape.

Crude oil prices:

The average Brent Crude oil price decreased slightly from 69.36 US Dollars (USD)
to 69.06 USD during the period under review.

The main contributing factor to the lower crude oil price is the decision by OPEC to increase production and the uncertainty caused by looming US trade tariffs, including secondary tariffs, which could affect global economic growth and demand for crude oil.

International petroleum product prices:

The average international petrol prices decreased in line with the decrease in crude oil prices. The prices of diesel and paraffin increased due to low stocks in the US, unplanned refinery shutdowns and closures of refineries in the EU, which have resulted in tight supply.

This led to lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices (BFP) of petrol by 23.49 cents per litre (c/l), and higher contributions to the BFP of diesel and illuminating paraffin by 69.94 c/l and 35.57 c/l, respectively.

The prices of Propane and Butane decreased during the period under review.

Rand/US Dollar exchange rate:

The Rand appreciated on average, against the US Dollar (USD), (from 17.84 to 17.76 Rand per USD) during the period under review when compared to the previous one. This led to lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol by between 4.00 – 5.00 cents per litre on all products.

Implementation of the Slate Levy:

The cumulative slate amounted to a positive balance of R3.707 billion for petrol and diesel at the end of June 2025. In line with the provisions of the Self Adjusting Slate Levy Mechanism, the slate levy remains unchanged at zero cents per litre in the price structures of petrol and diesel with effect from the 6th of August 2025.

Fuel price adjustments in full: 

❖ Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP): Twenty-eight cents per litre (28.00 c/l) decrease.

❖ Petrol 95 (ULP &LRP): Twenty-eight cents per litre (28.00 c/l) decrease.

❖ Diesel (0.05% sulphur): Sixty-five cents per litre (65.00 c/l) increase.

❖ Diesel (0.005% sulphur): Sixty-three cents per litre (63.00 c/l) increase.

❖ Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): Thirty-two cents per litre (32.00 c/l) increase.

❖ SMNRP for IP: Forty-three cents per litre (43.00 c/l) increase.

❖ Maximum Retail Price of LPGas: Sixty-nine cents per kilogram (69.00 c/kg) decrease and seventy-eight cents per kilogram (78.00 c/kg) decrease in the Western Cape.