Fuel price predictions for October point to a minor price hike for some

As we continue to edge nearer to October, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) has ploughed right through, and continues to offer up daily predictive fuel price snapshots to better help Saffas prepare for the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE) next round of fuel price adjustments.

Following the CEF’s disturbing (for some) first batch of fuel prices for October, you’ll be glad to know that things aren’t as bleak as they were a week ago. Petrol prices are still in the red — though the expected increase is smaller than the CEF had initially predicted. Diesel drivers, on the other hand, are due a minor price decrease.

Diesel says winning

We should mention that the CEF’s predictive data is not final and is subject to change. Working in conjunction with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), the CEF keeps track of those economic factors that influence the price of fuel locally, offering interested Safas the most accurate price data on a day-by-day basis. The latest price predictions (found below) were captured on 12 September 2025.

The biggest factors contributing to local fuel prices are the Rand/US Dollar exchange throughout any given month, as well as the price of oil internationally. The DMRE uses this information to help it determine the official fuel price adjustments at the end of every month — with the official adjustments typically taking place on the first Wednesday of each new month. In this case, that’ll be Wednesday, 1 October 2025.

That leaves plenty of time for the expected fuel prices to turn around, with petrol drivers hopefully coming out on the other side of October with a cheaper fuel bill than in September.