South African motorists will face another steep increase in fuel prices from Wednesday, 7 October, with petrol rising by more than R3 a litre and diesel increasing by as much as R3.24 a litre.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirmed that the price of 95 Unleaded petrol will increase by R3.33 a litre, while 93 Unleaded petrol will rise by R3.12. Diesel prices will increase by R2.84 a litre for 0.05% sulphur diesel and R3.24 for 0.005% sulphur diesel.
Motorists at the coast, including those in Cape Town, will pay R29.38 a litre for 95 Unleaded petrol. In Gauteng and other inland areas, the price will be higher at R30.25 a litre. The inland price of 93 petrol will increase to R29.88 a litre.
Diesel prices will also rise significantly. The wholesale price of 0.05% sulphur diesel will reach R31.08 a litre at the coast and R31.95 inland. Meanwhile, 0.005% sulphur diesel will increase to R32.03 a litre at the coast and R32.80 inland, before retail margins are added.
The department attributed the sharp increases mainly to rising international crude oil and petroleum product prices. The average price of Brent crude increased from US$87.89 to US$101 a barrel during the review period.
It said ongoing tensions between the US and Iran, uncertainty over oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, rising shipping costs and lower global oil inventories had all contributed to the increase in international prices.
The rand offered only limited relief, with the average exchange rate remaining almost unchanged at around R16.21 to the US dollar. According to the department, this reduced the impact on the basic fuel price by only a few cents per litre.
The latest increases follow government’s decision not to implement another temporary fuel-tax intervention after providing relief earlier this year. The sharp rise is expected to add further pressure to consumers and businesses, with fuel costs directly affecting transport, logistics and household travel expenses.
The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will also increase by R3.58 a litre. The maximum retail price of LPG will rise by 42 cents per kilogram nationally, while consumers in the Western Cape will see an increase of 48 cents per kilogram.
