The Department of Energy announced a decrease in the overall petrol and diesel prices for September, bringing much-needed relief to motorists.
This is the second consecutive month of cuts after prices spiked dramatically from March 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
While prices are dropping, they still have not returned to pre-February levels. However, the reductions have been welcomed by economists and analysts, saying that they will go some way in helping contain inflation.
John Loos, Property Sector Strategist at FNB Commercial Property Finance said that the price cuts will be especially welcomed by commuters and businesses who have had to suffer through record-high prices.
“Petrol price reductions begin to ease the pressure for the work commuting population. Staff working in offices have been feeling the financial pain of commuting in recent months, and this may have led to a greater number working more of the time from home than may have been the case in a scenario where petrol prices had remained low all along,” he said.
The Road Freight Association, meanwhile, said that lower petrol prices should give more room for retailers to pass savings onto customers and help ease food price inflation.
For motorists – whether they drive for work or for travel – the savings will be more direct on the pocket. BusinessTech looked at how much drivers stand to save when filling up this month, based on the size of their tank.
The monthly changes are as follows:
| Inland | August official | September official |
|---|---|---|
| 95 Petrol | R25.42 | R23.38 |
| 93 Petrol | R26.31 | R22.95 |
| 0.05% diesel (wholesale) | R25.40 | R23.96 |
| 0.005% diesel (wholesale) | R25.53 | R24.16 |
| Illuminating Paraffin | R19.86 | R17.60 |
The table below shows how much it would cost to fill up a tank of various popular sizes from empty, as well as the price difference from last month (inland prices):
| Tank | 93 unleaded | Saving | 95 unleaded | Saving | 0.05% diesel | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 litres | R1 032 | -R151 | R1 052 | -R92 | R1 078 | -R65 |
| 60 litres | R1 377 | -R202 | R1 402 | -R122 | R1 437 | -R86 |
| 80 litres | R1 836 | -R269 | R1 870 | -R163 | R1 916 | -R115 |
According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers South Africa (Naamsa), Toyota was the best-selling car brand in August 2022 with a 23.5% market share, with the Hilux being the best-sold car for the month at 3,417. This was followed closely by the VW Polo Vivo and the Toyota Urban Cruiser.
BusinessTech looked at how much it costs to fill up the five best-selling cars in South Africa right now:
Toyota Hilux – 3,417 units
To fill its tank up from empty: (80 litre) R1,916 for diesel or R1,870 for petrol.
Volkwagen Polo Vivo – 2,359 units
To fill its tank up from empty: (45 litre) R1,052 for 95 unleaded.
Toyota Urban Cruiser – 1,905 units
To fill its tank up from empty: (48 litre) R1,122 for 95 unleaded.
Ford Ranger – 1,791 units
To fill its tank up from empty: (80 litre) R1,916 for diesel.
Isuzu D-Max – 1,789 units
To fill its tank up from empty: (80 litre) R1,916 for diesel.
