Many motorists will think back on 2018 with scorn – this is the year when the prices of fuel skyrocketed for several months in a row and left drivers feeling frustrated.

The Department of Energy has released the official prices of petrol for January 2019, confirming that drivers will have one less thing to Jan-U-Worry about, as both grades of petrol are decreasing by more than a rand. A litre of 93 Petrol will cost R1.22 less, while 95 Petrol will now cost R1.23 less per litre.

The wholesale price of diesel will now be between R1.54 and R1.56 less, while the price of illuminating paraffin is dropping by nearly R2 – with a decrease of R1.64.

The price reductions come down to changes in the international prices of petroleum, as well as the rand/dollar exchange rate.

“2018 has shown just how vulnerable South Africa is to exchange rate volatility, and our key message to government is to work towards stabilising the economy and managing government debt,” the Automobile Association (AA) said. “Our outlook for 2019 is that South Africa’s economic fundamentals and investor confidence which influences the Rand will be the biggest factors affecting fuel prices.”

Here is how the fuel prices will be affected:

95 Petrol – R14.01

93 Petrol – R13.80

0.05% Diesel (wholesale) – R13.14

Picture: Pixabay

Article written by

Lucinda is a hard news writer who occasionally dabbles in lifestyle writing, and recent journalism graduate. She is a proud intersectional feminist, and is passionate about actively creating a world which is free of discrimination and inequality.