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December Fuel Forecast: South Africans Brace for Another Price Jump at the Pumps
A month of mixed signals
South Africans hoping for relief at the pumps in December are in for disappointment. Despite a brief moment of strength from the rand after the medium-term budget review, the numbers tell a different story. Fresh data from the Central Energy Fund shows that fuel prices are moving in the wrong direction for motorists. Petrol and diesel are both showing negative recoveries, and the outlook for December points clearly toward increases.
The rand did offer a glimmer of hope when it pushed past the seventeen-to-the-dollar mark for the first time in years. For a moment, it felt like a turning point. But the currency has already slipped back into a tight range, losing some of that momentum. A stronger rand can soften fuel hikes, but only if the trend is sustained for long enough. Right now, that cushion is simply not large enough to counter rising global oil prices.
What is driving the next increase
Global oil prices are the real heavyweight this month. Supply concerns linked to the United States’ pressure on Russian oil exports have pushed prices up sharply. A barrel is currently sitting around sixty-four dollars, noticeably higher than the levels seen in early October. Markets are reacting to expected sanctions and uncertainty around supply, and that uncertainty is spilling over into South Africa’s fuel calculations.
Diesel is taking the heaviest knock due to seasonal shifts in northern hemisphere demand and differing supply patterns. Paraffin, used by many households during summer storms and outages, is also expected to rise.
Mid-month projections
The mid-month snapshot from the Central Energy Fund suggests the following increases for December:
Petrol 93: increase of fourteen cents per litre
Petrol 95: increase of nineteen cents per litre
Diesel 0.05 percent wholesale: increase of sixty-eight cents per litre
Diesel 0.005 percent wholesale: increase of eighty-two cents per litre
Illuminating paraffin: increase of seventy-three cents per litre
LP Gas remains unpredictable because the fund does not publish daily snapshot data for it.
These figures can still shift before the final announcement, which is made by the Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, a few days before implementation. Even so, the trend for the first half of the month gives a reliable indication of what lies ahead.
Inland and coastal expectations
If the current trajectory holds, inland motorists can expect the following approximate pump prices in December:
Petrol 93 rising from twenty point ninety-seven to twenty-one point eleven
Petrol 95 rising from twenty-one point twelve to twenty-one point thirty-one
Diesel 0.05 percent wholesale rising from nineteen point thirteen to nineteen point eighty-one
Diesel 0.005 percent wholesale rising from nineteen point twenty to twenty point zero two
Illuminating paraffin rising from twelve point ninety-eight to thirteen point seventy-one
Coastal regions are expected to show slightly lower numbers, but the increases follow the same pattern.
Image 1: Business Tech
What South Africans are saying
Online, the reaction has been a mix of resignation and frustration. Many motorists say the December hike feels especially painful because it comes just as families prepare for holiday travel. Others argue that the stronger rand should have delivered more relief, questioning why small gains seem to vanish while oil price increases hit immediately.
Image 2: Business Tech
Looking ahead
Analysts still believe global oil markets may move toward oversupply in 2026 as producers increase output. For now, though, the short-term pressure on South African households remains. Rising oil costs, a wavering rand, and ongoing international tensions have combined at precisely the wrong moment.
As always, the final numbers will be confirmed near the end of the month. Until then, the message for drivers is simple. Prepare for another increase, and watch the exchange rate closely. A little more stability in the rand could still help soften the blow.
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Source: Business Tech
Featured Image: TopAuto
