South African consumers will on Wednesday enjoy a reprieve of at least 89 cents per litre of unleaded petrol while those who use diesel will have to contend with a 15-cent hike per litre of the commodity, the energy ministry announced on Tuesday.
The ministry attributed the decline in petrol prices to a decrease in Brent crude oil prices from US$94 per barrel to US$89.79 per barrel during the past month.
Analysts said the difference in the prices of diesel and petrol boiled down to supply and demand.
There was a high demand for diesel due to the high demand for electricity generation, the analysts added.
The ministry also announced that the price of lighting paraffin would decrease by 82 cents per litre with effect from Wednesday, while the cost of cooking gas is expected to increase by 19 cents per kg.
NM/jn/APA