South Africans are paying up to R89 less to fill up their tanks than they were earlier this year.
The cost of fuel peaked in February at R22.41 per litre for petrol 95, following a 12c per litre hike in January and a larger 82c per litre hike in February.
Thankfully, prices have since come down by a small amount, with all but one month seeing a drop in the cost of fuel.
Then vs now
Between March and August, South Africa received five petrol prices reductions and one increase, as shown below:
- March – 7c per litre decrease
- April – 72c per litre decrease
- May – 22c per litre decrease
- June – 5c per litre decrease
- July – 52c per litre increase
- August – 28c per litre decrease
Altogether, the reductions have slashed 82c from the price motorists are currently seeing at the pumps.
Unfortunately, the savings could have been significantly higher, were it not for a 52c hike in July.
The upset was primarily driven by the unstable situation in the Middle East at the time, when there were market concerns that the air strikes between Israel, Iran, and the United States would escalate into a prolonged conflict.
In any case, the price of fuel is slightly lower than what it was sitting at earlier this year, leading to a small but appreciable measure of relief for households.
The following table shows how much it costs to fill up different tank sizes in August 2025, compared to when fuel prices peaked back in February:
| Tank size | Cost to refill in February 2025 (R22.41) | Cost to refill in August 2025 (R21.59) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 litres | R672.30 | R647.70 | – R24.60 |
| 40 litres | R896.40 | R863.60 | – R32.80 |
| 50 litres | R1,120.50 | R1,079.50 | – R41 |
| 60 litres | R1,344.60 | R1,295.40 | – R49.20 |
| 70 litres | R1,568.70 | R1,511.30 | – R57.40 |
| 80 litres | R1,816.80 | R1,727.20 | – R89.60 |
Motorists with small cars are saving around R24.60 per top-up, while those with large bakkies and SUVs are spending up to R89 less.
It’s not much, admittedly, but it’s always worth bearing in mind that the cost of fuel has a knock-on effect on the price of other goods and services, meaning that any reduction is good for the economy as a whole.
Could have been better
The cost of petrol has been largely stagnant this year with modest under recoveries and over recoveries over the past few months.
Not helping matters is the fact that, back in June, the government elected to raise the General Fuel Levy (GFL) for the first time in three years to account for inflation.
The GFL had been frozen since the Covid-19 pandemic as an part of an economic relief measure for households.
However, the government decided to raise the GFL this year to partially make up for the now-scrapped proposal to raise VAT.
Consequently, the GFL now adds R4.01 and R3.85 to the cost of every litre of petrol and diesel sold in South Africa, respectively.
There have been proposals to deregulate or review the way the country’s fuel prices are calculated, but these measures are unlikely to make a tangible difference to consumers’ wallets.
Eliminating the GFL, for example, is highly unlikely as it would cost the fiscus an estimated R90 billion per annum.
Even if the government were to do this, it would undoubtedly look for another revenue stream to make up the difference, putting a financial burden on households one way or another.
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