SA welcomes in 2025 with petrol and diesel increases

Source: © 123rf 123rf The fuel prices for January 2025 will be adjusted with increases for Petrol 93, Petrol 95 and for diesel

The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has announced the adjustment of fuel prices based on current local and international factors with effect from 1 January 2025.

Increases

• Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP) will increase by 19 cents per litre (c/l)
  
• Petrol 95 will increase by 12.00 c/l.
  
• Diesel (0.05% sulphur): 7.50 c/l increase.
  
• Diesel (0.005% sulphur): 10.50 c/l increase.
  
• Maximum LPGas Retail Price: 13.00 c/kg increase.

Decreases

• Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): 9.50 c/ldecrease.
  
• SMNRP for IP: 13.00 c/l decrease.

South Africa’s fuel prices are adjusted monthly, informed by international and local factors.

International factors include the fact that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs, e.g., shipping costs.

Reasons for the adjustments

The main reasons for the fuel price adjustments are:

Crude oil prices

The average Brent Crude oil price increased slightly from $72.70 to $72.78 during the period under review. The main contributing factors are the Opec+ decision not to increase production in December and continued oversupply by non-Opec producers amid low economic growth globally.

International petroleum product prices

The average international product prices of Petrol followed the increasing trend of crude oil. In contrast, the prices of middle distillates decreased slightly because of higher inventories for the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere. These factors led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol and diesel by 9.33 c/l and 2.93 c/l respectively and lower contributions to illuminating paraffin by 18.92 c/l.

Rand/US Dollar exchange rate

The rand depreciated on average, against the US Dollar (from R17.93 to R18.11 per USD) during the period under review when compared to the previous one. This led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and Illuminating Paraffin by 10.58 c/l, 11.11 c/l and 10.90 c/l respectively.

Implementation of the Slate Levy

The cumulative slate amounted to a positive balance of R4.303 billion for petrol and diesel at the end of November 2024. In line with the provisions of the Self-Adjusting Slate Levy Mechanism, a slate levy remains unchanged at zero cents per litre in the price structures of petrol and diesel with effect from 1 January 2025.

Octane differentials between 95 and 93 petrol grades

In line with the Working Rules to determine the Basic Fuels Prices (BFP), the differential between 95 and 93 octanes is adjusted on the first Wednesday of each quarter. T

he BFP Octane differential has changed during the previous quarter and therefore the retail prices of 95 and 93 petrol octanes will be different in each fuel-pricing zone with effect from 1 January 2025.

Restoration of the Magisterial District Zones

The repair work at the Port of Port Elizabeth (PE) is complete and the port is now operational. The temporary closure of the port has necessitated interim changes to the Magisterial District Zones (MDZ) since October 2024. The Department will revert to the original MDZs of all the affected fuel pricing zones, with effect from 1 January 2025.

The fuel prices schedule for the different zones will be published on Tuesday, 31 December 2024.