Midnight deadline: Massive fuel hikes to hit South African purses

With significant increases looming for petrol, diesel, paraffin, and gas, South Africans have until midnight to purchase fuel before prices rise. Motorists face another steep hike from tomorrow (May 6), following confirmation of the official May adjustments by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy,reportsPretoria Rekord. Both grades of petrol will increase by more than R3, while diesel will climb by just over R6 a litre.

With a cold front approaching, the price of illuminating paraffin will rise by more than R4 per litre. In Gauteng, LPGAS will increase by just over R5 per kilogram; unwelcome news for those depending on these resources for light, heat, and cooking. Residents in the Western Cape will be hit even harder, with LPGAS set to increase by R5.78/kg.

These increases come amid volatile global oil prices linked to ongoing international conflicts, as well as pressure from the rand/dollar exchange rate. Although the government extended temporary fuel tax relief for May, the benefit was largely offset by a significant slate levy adjustment, adding further pressure to pump prices. The Citizen reportsthat fuel price increases for different magisterial district zones will be published later today. The department uses different magisterial zones, taking in factors such as the distance from coastal refineries and ports, to determine fuel prices.