Good news about petrol prices

Motorists can expect a second round of petrol and diesel price reductions in August.

This is according to early data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) for the first week of July, which indicates that both petrol and diesel will experience an over-recovery next month.

Petrol is expected to come down by R2.50 per litre, while diesel is set for a larger reduction of R3.51 per litre.

This comes after the price of both fuels was reduced on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, following an improvement in the global oil price.

While it is still early in the month, the predicted over-recoveries are an indication that the market is on a downward trend.

These are the CEF’s fuel price adjustment predictions for the end of the first week of July:

• Petrol 93 – decrease of R2.50 per litre
• Petrol 95 – decrease of R2.50 per litre
• Diesel 0.05% (wholesale) – decrease of R3.07 per litre
• Diesel 0.005% (wholesale) – decrease of R3.51 per litre

The price of Brent Crude oil plummeted to around $70 per barrel over the last week as the United States and Iran moved to end hostilities in the Middle East.

This is a remarkable improvement from a few months ago when the war caused oil prices to soar past $110 per barrel.

Unfortunately, oil has yet to drop to pre-war levels of below $60 per barrel, but this is nonetheless a positive development for fuel prices.

This will be the second month of price cuts for petrol after July’s reductions, while diesel will receive its third cut.

June and July would have seen larger reductions were it not for the reintroduction of the General Fuel Levy, which was heavily reduced when the war first broke out.

However, the National Treasury has ended its fuel price relief measures, adding R3 back to the price of both fuels.

The following table shows how fuel prices will be affected in July once the General Fuel Levy is factored in: