Fuel Prices Set to Soar Again in September

Fuel prices are expected to rise again in September, adding to motorists' financial burdens. The year-to-date increase in petrol and diesel prices has been significant, with 95-octane petrol up by over 20% and diesel by close to 33%. In Gauteng, a 50-litre tank of petrol is already costing motorists R208.50 more than it did at the end of 2025.

The underrecovery on diesel is currently around R2.73 per litre, while paraffin has an underrecovery of R2.15 per litre. These underrecoveries are due to increases in the dollar price of fuel on international markets, which have not been fully reflected in local prices.

The rand's resilience against the US dollar has countered some of these increases, but oil price movements remain volatile, with Brent crude oil recently spiking after the US threatened an indefinite naval blockade of Iran. This has raised concerns about disruptions to global oil supplies.