The Central Energy Fund (CEF) has some good news… and it has some bad news. The good news is that the early predictions for December are showing signs of recovery after the disastrous adjustments made earlier this week. An occasion that would normally call for celebration is set to leave diesel drivers broken-hearted after the National Treasury reduces the relief applied to fuel levies — down to R1/l for petrol and R1.50/l for diesel.
Tough times ahead (for some)
That means that R0.50 and R1.50 will be added back onto the price of petrol and diesel, respectively, this December. Petrol’s predicted gains are currently hovering around R2/l, meaning a roughly R1.50/l price decrease is on the cards. With diesel expected to only drop by a measly two cents, drivers will likely be paying more.
Those prices aren’t set in stone just yet — far from it. The CEF, in conjunction with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), tracks those economic factors that influence the price of fuel locally. It publishes these predicted changes daily, offering Saffas some insight into the coming fuel price adjustments.
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The DMPR officially adjusts the prices at the pumps on the first Wednesday of the new month. In this case, that’ll fall on Wednesday, 2 December. That leaves plenty of time for the situation to improve for petrol and diesel motorists alike. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true, potentially sending prices even further into the red.
That all depends on the price of oil globally throughout November — the biggest factor when it comes to local fuel prices. With the ongoing US-Iran War, prices have hovered over the $100 mark for months, far above their “normal” price in the $70-per-barrel range. The Rand’s performance compared to the US Dollar is also of importance. These two combined are the main deciders of the coming fuel price adjustments.
Here are the petrol and diesel price predictions (so far) for December 2026:
- Petrol 93: decrease of 202 cents per litre (R2.02)
- Petrol 95: decrease of 232 cents per litre (R2.32)
- Diesel 0.05%: decrease of 1 cent per litre (R0.02)
- Diesel 0.005%: decrease of 35 cents per litre (R0.35)
- Illuminating Paraffin: decrease of 36 cents per litre (R0.36)
Here are the petrol and diesel price predictions for December— with relief factored in:
- Petrol 93: decrease of 152 cents per litre (R1.52)
- Petrol 95: decrease of 182 cents per litre (R1.82)
- Diesel 0.05%: increase of 149 cents per litre (R1.49)
- Diesel 0.005%: increase of 115 cents per litre (R1.15)
