South Africans got a pleasant surprise on 3 September 2025 with falling petrol and diesel prices. Diesel dropped by 56 or 57 cents per litre, depending on its sulphur content, while petrol became 4 cents cheaper per litre.
Why Have Prices Fallen?
The Road Freight Association explains this decrease as the result of a combination of favorable factors:
- The strengthening of the South African rand.
- The decline in international oil prices.
The new wholesale price of diesel is now R18.61 per litre on the coast and R19.44 in Gauteng. Unleaded 95-octane petrol is now R20.72 per litre on the coast and R21.55 inland.
A Relief for the Transport Industry
This drop is particularly welcome for the road freight sector, where diesel is the main operating expense. Kevin van der Merwe, Acting CEO of the Road Freight Association, described the decrease as “particularly welcome” for the industry.
He also noted that the sector remains vulnerable to other risks, such as exchange rate volatility and geopolitical factors, which could reverse this positive trend. The Association hopes that fuel price stability will continue, allowing transporters to recover from previous increases and potentially pass on these savings to their clients and, ultimately, to consumers.
