South Africans woke up Wednesday to find higher fuel prices at the pump which the ministry of energy attributed to hikes in the cost of petroleum products on the world markets and an appreciating local currency.
Due to this, the price of petrol has been increased by 43 cents (about 3 US cents) a litre, with diesel rising by 55 cents a litre, the ministry said.
Lighting paraffin increased by 55 cents, it added.
However, the upward trend did not apply to cooking gas whose price dropped by 44 cents per kilogramme, the ministry said.
Apart from higher world oil market prices, it added that the hikes were due to the local rand currency’s “appreciation against the US dollar.”
NM/jn/APA