The Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has confirmed South Africa’s official petrol price adjustments for October 2025, with petrol set to rise slightly while diesel sees a modest drop. The new prices will come into effect from Wednesday, 1 October 2025.
Market Drivers Behind the Adjustments
Throughout September, global oil markets traded steadily, averaging around $67 a barrel with a brief climb to $69 towards month-end. At the same time, the rand showed strength, appreciating to around R17.30/$, and even firmer by the final week.
This combination initially pointed to a potential over-recovery in fuel prices. However, the inclusion of a 6.1c/l wage adjustment for forecourt employees, following the Motor Industry Bargaining Council’s multi-year wage agreement, pushed petrol costs back into negative territory and limited the scale of diesel’s price drop.
Official Fuel Price Adjustments
The October 2025 changes are as follows:
| Fuel Type | Change |
|---|---|
| Petrol 93 | ↑ 1c per litre |
| Petrol 95 | ↑ 8c per litre |
| Diesel 0.05% (wholesale) | ↓ 10c per litre |
| Diesel 0.005% (wholesale) | ↓ 8c per litre |
| Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale) | ↓ 11c per litre |
| LPGAS | ↓ 17c per kg |
| LPGAS (Saldanha WC) | ↓ 19c per kg |
Factors at Play
- Oil Prices: The slight increase in crude oil costs was largely driven by geopolitical tensions in Ukraine, Russia, and the Middle East. While OPEC+ recently announced plans to boost output in October, the impact of global instability overshadowed this move.
- Currency Strength: The rand strengthened against the US dollar, averaging R17.49/$ compared to R17.73/$ previously. This reduced fuel import costs, easing some of the pressure on local pump prices.
- Basic Fuel Price (BFP) Impact: International fuel trends increased contributions to BFP by 16.93c/l for petrol, 8.13c/l for diesel, and 4.23c/l for illuminating paraffin. The rand’s appreciation, however, offset these by lowering contributions of 14.27c/l for petrol and 15.40c/l for diesel.
- Wage Increase Adjustment: A 6.1c/l addition was applied to petrol prices to accommodate forecourt wage increases from October.
Pump Prices Across Regions
The price shifts will reflect differently across inland and coastal zones:
Inland (October 2025)
- Petrol 93: R21.48
- Petrol 95: R21.63
- Diesel 0.05% (wholesale): R19.34
- Diesel 0.005% (wholesale): R19.39
- Illuminating Paraffin: R12.99
- LPGAS: R34.59/kg
Coastal (October 2025)
- Petrol 93: R20.69
- Petrol 95: R20.80
- Diesel 0.05% (wholesale): R18.51
- Diesel 0.005% (wholesale): R18.63
- Illuminating Paraffin: R11.98
- LPGAS: R31.43/kg
- LPGAS (Saldanha WC): R33.60/kg
While October offers slight relief for diesel users and households relying on paraffin and LPG, motorists will feel a minor pinch at the petrol pumps. Analysts caution that continued global tensions may keep oil markets volatile in the months ahead, leaving South Africa’s fuel prices sensitive to both currency movements and geopolitical shocks.
Related article: September 2025 Petrol Price: Sharp Diesel Drop, Minimal Petrol Changes
