South Africans will face significant increases at the pumps from Wednesday as the government announced hikes across all fuel types.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) confirmed on Monday that petrol, diesel and paraffin prices will all rise from 2 September, with diesel users facing the steepest increases.
Petrol users will pay an additional R1.34 per litre for both grades 93 and 95, whilst diesel prices will jump by R2.93 per litre for 0.05% sulphur and R3.14 per litre for 0.005% sulphur.
Illuminating paraffin will increase by R2.13 per litre at wholesale level and R2.84 per litre at retail, whilst liquid petroleum gas (LPGas) will rise by 69 cents per kilogramme, or 79 cents in the Western Cape.
Global tensions drive oil costs higher
The DMPR attributed the increases to rising international oil prices, with Brent Crude climbing from $82.37 to $87.88 dollars per barrel during the review period.
“The increase is due to the continued US/Iran tensions, uncertainty regarding the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz and higher shipping costs,” the department said in a statement.
International product prices for petrol, diesel and paraffin also rose due to supply shortages linked to the ongoing Russia/Ukraine conflict and diminished global inventories.
Rand strength offers slight relief
The strengthening of the rand against the US dollar provided some relief, reducing the basic fuel price contributions by 21.07 cents per litre for petrol, 29.06 cents per litre for diesel and 26.69 cents per litre for paraffin.
However, this was insufficient to offset the impact of higher crude oil and product prices.
ALSO READ: Oil prices drop as Trump targets Iran with economic pressure
Slate levy adds to burden
The slate levy, a mechanism designed to recover revenue shortfalls from previous months, increased from 61.38 cents per litre to 83.28 cents per litre, adding 21.90 cents per litre to both petrol and diesel prices.
According to the DMPR, the cumulative slate levy balance stood at a negative R9.519 billion for petrol and diesel at the end of July 2026.
The new prices take effect from midnight on Wednesday.
ALSO READ: Fuel prices to jump by up to R6.19 per litre this week
