You might want to wait until Wednesday to replenish the tank of your vehicle, as a small reprieve in the price of fuel is on the cards.
This as the department of energy and mineral resources announced on Saturday evening that the prices of fuel were expected to drop slightly in August.
The decrease in international petroleum prices is driving the decreases but they are being offset by a weaker Rand/US dollar exchange rate.
Motorists will see a R1.32 per litre dip in the price of petrol, effective from Tuesday at midnight. Diesel is set to cost between 88 and 91 cents per litre cheaper.
Illuminating Paraffin is the big winner as its wholesale price is set to decrease by R1.44 per litre.
It's imperative to note that the General Fuel Levy (GFL) will return to its normal rate of R3.93 per litre in August.
This after government indicated that it would not alter its position that the initial R1.50 it cut from the GFL in April and May, and which was halved to 75 cents for June and July, will end in August.
Although the decline in prices is a welcome reprieve for South Africans whose budgets have been stretched, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) is expected to march against what it called "unaffordable" fuel prices.
"It may drop now, but in December it will rise again," said the union’s Motlatsi Tsubane during a shop stewards council meeting on Saturday.
The meeting was to discuss Cosatu's Western Cape provincial strike which is scheduled for August 4.
DA MP Kevin Mileham said the damage caused by an excessive fuel price would not be thwarted by small reductions.
The FF+ spokesperson on mineral resources and energy, Dr Wynand Boshoff, said over the past months of record prices several proposals to keep price increases in check had been made.
"The biggest part of the petrol price is the basic price," he said.
"This is mainly based on the value of the rand against the US dollar, as well as the international price for Brent crude oil. This is also the part that varies from month to month."
Weekend Argus.