We have no doubts that South Africa’s luck concerning the continually dropping fuel price will run out eventually, but May is not that time. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has officially published the coming fuel price adjustments for May 2025, and they bring good news for motoring Saffas.

Fuel for the soul (and car)

As ever, you’ll need to wait until Wednesday, 7 May, before you can take advantage of the cheaper fuel prices (found below). The DMRE typically adjusts the country’s petrol and diesel pumps on the first Wednesday of the new month, and May is no different.

The price drop will not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed the Central Energy Fund’s (CEF) predictions throughout April, which predicted similar price drops, based on the same factors that affected the DMRE’s adjustment in May.

These are the average Rand/US Dollar exchange rate throughout the previous month, as well as the average price of unrefined oil in that same period. According to the DMRE, the Rand depreciated against the US Dollar during that time, while the price of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin decreased.

“The average Rand/US Dollar exchange rate for the period 28 March 2025 to 01 May 2025 was 18.8382 compared to 18.2957 during the previous period. This led to a higher contribution to the Basic Fuel Prices on petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin by 29.13 c/l, 30.34 c/l, 30.24 c/l, respectively.”