- Petrol is likely to get cheaper in December, by about R1.50 to R1.80 a litre, but diesel could cost more because the government’s fuel tax relief is getting smaller.
- These are early figures with the final prices announced at the end of the month, and an extra charge could cut the petrol saving.
Petrol is likely to get cheaper in December, but diesel could cost more.
Early figures from the Central Energy Fund point to a petrol cut of R2.02 a litre for 93 and R2.32 for 95, BusinessTech reports.
But some of that will be taken back. The government is making its fuel tax relief smaller in December, which adds 50c a litre back to petrol and R1.50 back to diesel.
After that, 95 petrol could drop by R1.82 a litre, from R30.24 to about R28.42 inland. The price of 93 could drop by R1.52, from R29.87 to about R28.35. On a 50-litre tank of 95, that is about R91 less.
Diesel is the problem. The early figures show almost no cut, so the extra tax pushes the price up. BusinessTech says wholesale diesel could go up by R1.15 to R1.49 a litre, depending on the type.
Oil prices have helped petrol. Investec economist Annabel Bishop said Brent crude, the world oil price benchmark, fell from near US118 a barrel to about US95 after the United States mid-term elections. BusinessTech also credits a stronger brand after South Africa’s local elections.
The fuel tax relief was announced before the elections. Without it, IOL reported, petrol would have gone up by about R1.50 a litre in November.
It has been a hard year for drivers. News24 reports that 95 petrol is up about R8 a litre since December 2025, and diesel is up more than R12.
