Mid-month petrol price predictions for July take a nasty turn

It was nice while it lasted. We’d become so used to the idea of South Africa’s petrol and diesel prices going down on a regular basis that the latest predictive snapshots from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) came as a bit of a shock. Captured 16 June 2025, the CEF predicts that South Africa is in for its first fuel price increase in months.

Grab those petrol pitchforks

Fortunately, the numbers are still relatively small, at least for now. The CEF’s figures, while the most accurate available, are not official. On the first Wednesday of every month, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) adjusts the country’s fuel prices. The CEF tracks the economic factors that can influence this.

These factors, which include the average Rand/US Dollar exchange rate and the average price of unrefined oil over any given month, are ever-changing, meaning the CEF’s predictions may look different by the time the DMRE is ready to officially adjust the fuel pumps on Wednesday, 2 July.

That’s both a good and a bad thing. The CEF’s figures are, unfortunately, correct. But considering the ever-changing nature of currencies and the worldwide events that can influence oil prices, we may just be in for another fuel price decrease come July. We personally wouldn’t count on it, but it’s not out of the question.