For illustration purposes.
Motorists across South Africa will benefit from lower petrol prices from Wednesday, 5 August 2026, after the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, announced the latest monthly fuel price adjustments.
Both grades of petrol, 93 (ULP & LRP) and 95 (ULP), will decrease by 52 cents per litre, providing welcome relief for consumers after months of high fuel prices.
In Gauteng, the price of 95 octane petrol will drop from R26.10 to R25.58 per litre. Along the coast, the price will fall from R25.23 to R24.71 per litre.
Diesel users, however, will experience significant increases. Diesel containing 0.05% sulphur will increase by R1.38 per litre, while 0.005% sulphur diesel will rise by R1.23 per litre.
The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will increase by R1.52 per litre, while the Single Maximum National Retail Price for illuminating paraffin will rise by R2.03. Meanwhile, the Maximum Retail Price of LPGas will decrease by R4.41 per kilogram, and by R5.03 per kilogram in the Western Cape.
According to the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, the average Brent crude oil price declined from US$86.53 to US$82.37 per barrel during the review period.
The department said the impact of renewed tensions between the United States and Iran, which briefly pushed oil prices close to US$100 per barrel, was offset by lower global crude oil demand and the implementation of a ceasefire memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
While international petrol prices decreased, the department noted that diesel and illuminating paraffin prices increased because of supply shortages linked to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Russia’s diesel export restrictions, coupled with reduced refining capacity at several Middle Eastern refineries, placed additional pressure on global diesel supplies.
These market conditions resulted in lower contributions to the Basic Fuel Price (BFP) for petrol, while diesel and paraffin recorded substantial increases.
