Petrol falls just 1c as diesel drops and paraffin rises from 4 November

Petrol will fall by just one cent a litre from Wednesday, 4 November, while diesel becomes cheaper and paraffin and cooking gas become more expensive.

The final changes announced by Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe show why a reduction in the fuel levy does not translate into an identical reduction at the pump.

The changes from 4 November

Where the levy relief goes

SARS's tariff amendments reduce the general fuel levy on petrol from R4.10 to R2.60 a litre, and on diesel from R3.93 to 93c. These figures exclude the separate carbon fuel levy. The reductions apply from 4 November through 1 December.

That removes R1.50 from the petrol levy and R3 from the diesel levy. Other parts of the price calculation have moved upwards. The department reports higher international petroleum-product prices and a weaker average rand during the review period.

The department's pricing explanation sets out the wider calculation: imported-product costs, the exchange rate, taxes, margins, transport and other charges all contribute. A cut to one component can cushion an increase elsewhere while producing a much smaller change in the final bill.

What that means for a 50-litre fill

For a motorist buying 50 litres of petrol, a 1c-per-litre decrease means paying 50c less than for the same quantity at the applicable October price. The calculation is 50 litres multiplied by R0.01.

The levy reduction alone amounts to R75 on that quantity, calculated as 50 multiplied by R1.50. That R75 describes the tax component removed from November's price build-up. It should not be presented as the month-to-month saving on a tank.

Diesel needs a further distinction. The department regulates petrol retail prices but publishes a wholesale list price for diesel, whose retail price is not regulated. The two diesel figures in the table therefore describe wholesale changes. A driver should check the actual price offered by the filling station.

Cooking fuel puts a different pressure on households

For a household purchasing 10 litres of paraffin at the national retail ceiling, the increase in that ceiling adds R36.60 to the maximum fuel bill. Buying below the ceiling would produce a different bill.

Similarly, multiplying the LPG adjustment by nine gives an increase of R16.47 in the maximum price for nine kilograms of gas, or R18.72 in the Western Cape. These are illustrations of the fuel-price change alone, excluding any separate cylinder or delivery charge.

The relief is temporary

In his 21 October budget statement, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced smaller levy reductions after 1 December: R1 a litre for petrol and R1.50 for diesel, continuing until 5 January 2027. He put the total revenue cost at R10 billion, funded by money returned from the Central Energy Fund.

Those are the announced tax arrangements. Future monthly prices will still depend on the other components. TPR's earlier fuel-relief explainer sets out the distinction between an interim cost indicator, a levy decision and the final adjustment.