The latest data indicates that South Africa’s fuel prices for July 2025 have increased, with both petrol and diesel seeing notable hikes[5][7].
Effective 2 July 2025, the following adjustments were made:
- Petrol 93: Increase of 55 cents per litre (Inland: R21.79, Coastal: R21.00)
- Petrol 95: Increase of 52 cents per litre (Inland: R21.87, Coastal: R21.04)
- Diesel 0.05%: Increase of 82 cents per litre (Inland: R19.35, Coastal: R18.52)
- Diesel 0.005%: Increase of 84 cents per litre (Inland: R19.41, Coastal: R18.65)
- Illuminating Paraffin: Increase of 67 cents per litre
These price hikes follow several months of price decreases, and are mainly driven by increased international oil prices due to geopolitical instability—as seen in the recent conflicts involving Israel, Iran, and the United States—which led to volatility in global oil markets[3][5][7].
Currency performance offered some relief, as the South African rand strengthened slightly against the dollar over the same period, mitigating the extent of the price increases[5]. The rand improved from R18.11 to R17.84 per US dollar during May and June, making oil imports marginally cheaper.
Looking ahead to August 2025, early projections from the Central Energy Fund suggest:
- Petrol 93: Decrease of 35 cents per litre
- Petrol 95: Decrease of 30 cents per litre
- Diesel: Increase of 63 to 65 cents per litre
- Illuminating Paraffin: Increase of 29 cents per litre
These forecasts are sensitive to fluctuations in both the Brent crude oil price (currently around $70.21 per barrel) and the exchange rate (R17.95 per US dollar as of the end of July)[1]. The final adjustments will be confirmed at the beginning of August 2025, taking effect from midnight on Tuesday, 5 August 2025.