South Africans woke up to cheaper diesel and petrol prices on Wednesday, 3 September 2025 with diesel dropping 56c or 57c per litre depending on its sulphur content and petrol costing 4c cheaper per litre.
According to the Road Freight Association the drop in fuel prices is due to the “combination of a stronger South African Rand and a decline in international oil prices”.
The wholesale price of diesel is R18.61 at the coast and R19.44 in Gauteng. While 95-octane petrol, at 4c per litre cheaper, is R20.72 at the coast and R21.55 inland.
“For the road freight industry, where diesel is the primary energy source and often constitutes a significant portion of operational costs, the substantial decrease in diesel wholesale prices is particularly welcome,” says Kevin van der Merwe, acting CEO of the Road Freight Association.
He goes on to say that “while the decrease is a positive step, it is important to note that the industry continues to face various other headwinds, including volatile exchange rates and geopolitical factors that can quickly reverse any gains.”
“The Association hopes that this positive trend continues and that a period of stable or decreasing fuel prices will allow transporters to recover from previous price shocks and, where possible, pass on savings to their customers and the end-consumer.” Van der Merwe concludes.