Johannesburg – The Motor Industry Staff Association (MISA) has cautiously expressed approval regarding the decrease in petrol prices, while warning that the simultaneous increases in diesel and paraffin will further strain households already facing financial hardships.
The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announced that, starting from 5 August 2026, petrol prices in South Africa will decrease by 52 cents per litre, whereas diesel prices are set to rise by R1.23 to R1.38 per litre.
Fuel Price Adjustments
- Petrol 93 and 95: decrease of 52 cents per litre
- Cooking gas (LPGas): reduced by R4.41 per kg inland and R5.03 per kg in the Western Cape
- Diesel: increase of up to 138 cents per litre
- Illuminating paraffin (wholesale): increase of 152 cents per litre
MISA expressed their “deep concern” regarding the rise in paraffin prices, noting that “for millions of the most disadvantaged South Africans who depend on paraffin for cooking, heating, and lighting, this is not relief; it is an added burden.”
Moreover, MISA highlighted that the increase in diesel, which powers the trucks transporting food and goods nationwide, threatens food prices just when they need to be lowered for workers.
“We welcome any reduction at the petrol pump, but we cannot celebrate a mixed adjustment that hikes paraffin costs for the most vulnerable families and raises diesel prices affecting the entire food supply chain,” commented Martlé Keyter, CEO of Operations at MISA.
“Workers cannot endure the dual challenge of rising transportation and food costs.”
“When petrol prices fall, but diesel prices rise, retailers and taxi operators should not use this as an excuse to maintain high prices.
“The benefits need to be evident in household budgets, not lost along the way.”
MISA urged the government to consider measures to mitigate the impact of the diesel and paraffin price increases on vulnerable households and to ensure that the petrol reduction effectively translates into real relief in food and transportation costs.
