South African motorists are bracing for higher fuel prices across the board starting on Wednesday.
Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said the retail price of 93 and 95 octane petrol would increase by 0.063 US cents per litre, while the wholesale diesel price would rise by 0.063 cents per litre (0.05% sulphur) and 0.056 cents per litre of diesel with 0.005% sulphur content.
In addition, lighting paraffin would increase by 0.034 cents per litre, and the maximum retail price of cooking gas would rise to 0.022 cents per/kg, he said.
The fuel hikes in coastal cities for 95 unleaded petrol would be US$1.24 per litre at wholesale prices, while diesel with 0.05% sulphur would be $1.44 per litre at wholesale prices, and diesel with 0.005% would be sold at $1.15 per litre at wholesale prices, according to the minister.
And for inland cities, 93-unleaded petrol would be $1.27 per litre, and 95-unleaded would be hiked to $1.29 per litre in wholesale prices — and diesel with 0.05% sulphur would be set at $1.18 per litre in wholesale, while diesel with 0.005% sulphur would be priced at $1.19 per litre on wholesale, the minister added.
Consumers, however, could take comfort that the two main levies on fuel — the General Fuel Levy and the Road Accident Fund levy — would not increase for the third consecutive year.
Gwede attributed the latest price adjustments to a weakening local rand currency against the US dollar and higher international oil prices in February.
NM/jn/APA