After a repeated hammering, South African motorists will get some relief with the price of diesel set to decrease.

The news comes courtesy of the Automobile Association (AA) who sends out updates based on the unaudited month-end fuel price data released by the Central Energy Fund.

Unfortunately, the AA got the initial details wrong as the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy released the official prices on Tuesday morning. From Wednesday 1 September the price of petrol will rise by 4c per litre, 50ppm diesel will decrease by 14c per litre while the wholesale price of illuminating paraffin will also decrease by 15c per litre.

“International petroleum prices continued their gradual retreat during August, having pulled back by around ten percent since the start of the month. We attribute this mainly to the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cartel, which increased oil production gradually during the first half until previous production restrictions were removed,” the Association says.

Sadly, these price reductions could have been more, but our currency battled against the US Dollar this month.

Worryingly, the AA says it is concerned about the trajectory of the Rand, whose average exchange rate against the US dollar weakened considerably since the 6th July. The Rand slid from around R14.32 on that day to over R14.70, with daily highs peaking in excess of R15.30.

Further Reading

SA Petrol Price– Where Does Our Money Go?

5 Ways to Beat the Fuel Price Hike

Most Fuel Efficient Budget Cars in SA

Most Fuel-Efficient Double-Cab Bakkies in SA

5 Fuel-Saving Car Features & How They Work

Most Fuel Efficient Budget Cars in SA

Most Fuel Efficient Diesel Cars in SA

Most Fuel Efficient Petrol Cars in SA