Despite the turbulence of 2025 with both local and global market drama playing out South African motorists are ending the year only marginally worse off at the fuel pumps.
While international factors such as a global diesel shortage placed pressure on prices the biggest local contributor was the government’s increase to the general fuel levy which ensured that motorists ultimately paid more.
Reviewing fuel price movements over the full year from December 2024 to December 2025 petrol users experienced a mixed outcome.
Motorists using 93 unleaded saw a modest increase with prices rising by 11 cents per litre from R21.15 to R21.26.
By contrast those filling up with 95 unleaded benefited slightly as prices dipped by 6 cents per litre falling from R21.47 to R21.41 by December 2025.
The sharpest increases were felt in diesel which is typically more exposed to geopolitical events and supply disruptions and 2025 delivered no shortage of either.
Diesel with a 0.5% sulphur content climbed by 57 cents per litre over the year increasing from R19.21 in December 2024 to R19.78 in December 2025.
Even steeper was the rise in 0.05% sulphur diesel which jumped by 69 cents per litre moving from R19.33 to R20.02 over the same period.
In practical terms a driver filling a 50 litre tank from empty would be paying around R5.50 more for Petrol 93 saving roughly R3.00 on Petrol 95 while diesel users are spending between R28.50 and R34.50 more per fill-up.
