Pretoria: Motorists will have to fork out more for fuel this festive season as the price of all grades of petrol have gone up this December. This adjustment comes as the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announced the new fuel prices based on current local and international factors, effective from Wednesday, 03 December 2025.
According to South African Government News Agency, the fuel prices for December 2025 have been adjusted as follows: Petrol 93 (ULP and LRP) and Petrol 95 (ULP and LRP) have each seen a 29 cents per litre increase. Diesel prices have risen significantly, with Diesel (0.05% sulphur) increasing by 65.48 cents per litre and Diesel (0.005% sulphur) by 82.48 cents per litre. Illuminating paraffin has increased by 74.48 cents per litre wholesale, while the Single Maximum National Retail Price (SMNRP) for illuminating paraffin has risen by 99 cents per litre. The maximum LPGas retail price has increased by 24 cents per litre and 9 cents per kilogram in the Western Cape.
The price adjustments mean that a litre of Petrol 95 (ULP and LRP) now costs R21.41 in Gauteng, while in coastal regions, it is priced at R20.58. In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources noted a decrease in the average brent crude oil price from 64.14 US Dollars (USD) to 63.54 USD during the review period. The department attributed the price changes to oversupply concerns arising from increased production by OPEC+ and non-OPEC producers amid slower global demand.
Additionally, the average international product prices of petrol were influenced by lower inventories ahead of the Northern Hemisphere winter season due to planned and unplanned refinery outages, resulting in higher refinery margins. These factors contributed to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel, and illuminating paraffin increasing by 28.97 cents, 64.09 cents, and 72.04 cents per litre, respectively.
The Rand appreciated slightly against the US Dollar, averaging R17.23 per USD during the review period compared to R17.29 previously. The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has approved a net increase of 3.6 cents per litre in the annual margin adjustments on petrol and a net increase of 5.48 cents per litre on diesel and illuminating paraffin wholesale prices, effective from 03 December 2025. Furthermore, an annual adjustment to the pricing elements of the maximum retail price of LPGas was also approved.
The adjustments consider the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2024 of 4.4% and the average Producer Price Index (PPI) for 2024 of 3.1%. Notably, in November, the department announced decreases in the prices of petrol, diesel, illuminating paraffin, and LP Gas.