
Petrol prices decrease in May
Motorists will breathe a sigh of relief from Wednesday as the cost of all grades of petrol are set to come down.
This as the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe announced the adjustment of fuel prices based on current local and international factors with effect from Wednesday, May 7.
The price of petrol 93 (ULP and LRP) will decrease by 22 cents a litre while the price of 95 (ULP and LRP) will also come down by 22 cents a litre.
Currently, a litre of petrol 95 costs R21.62 in Gauteng. As of Wednesday, this will come down to R21.40 a litre.
At the coast, a litre of 95 petrol, which costs R20.79 a litre, will cost R20. 57 as of Wednesday.
Meanwhile the price of Diesel (0.05% sulphur) will decrease by 42 cents a litre and that of Diesel (0.005% sulphur) will come down by 41 cents a litre.
The price of Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale) will decrease by 31 cents per litre.
The Single Maximum National Retail Price (SMNRP) for illuminating paraffin will see a 41 cent decrease and the maximum LPGas Retail Price will increase by 46 cents per kilogram.
'The average Brent Crude oil price decreased from 71.04 US Dollars (USD) to 66.40 USD during the period under review,' said the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.
It added that the tariff and trade war initiated by the United States which has raised global economic recession concerns, and a possible lower demand for crude oil, and oversupply of oil from non-OPEC countries and the anticipated increase in oil production by OPEC+ members were the main contributing factors for the fuel price adjustments.
'The average international petroleum product prices of petrol and diesel followed the decreasing trend of crude oil prices while the price of LPG increased due to higher freight (shipping costs) during the period under review,' said the department. -SAnews.gov.za
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Weekly economic wrap: the bleak picture of SA's GDP
Even the Reserve Bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, echoed the bleak picture, calling the GDP data 'not a pretty picture'. It was a busy week on the economic front with a few announcements, with almost all of them pointing out that the GDP data for the first quarter that showed the economy grew by only 0.1% is indeed correct. Tracey-Lee Solomon, economist at the Bureau for Economic Research (BER) says most of the data releases painted a bleak picture of South Africa's economy. 'Not only was the gross domestic product (GDP) growth dismal, but growth for 2024 was also revised lower to just 0.5%.' Bianca Botes, director at Citadel Global, says the rand strengthened to R17.86/$ before giving back some of its gains. 'The positive move for the rand is largely thanks to a softer dollar and positive news on the national budget.' Busisiwe Nkonki and Isaac Matshego, economists at the Nedbank Group Economic Unit, point out that the rand touched R17.75/$ on Thursday after US private jobs data pointed to a sharp fall in jobs growth in May, with the reading suggesting that US nonfarm payrolls figures could miss market forecasts. The rand traded at R17.77/$ on Friday afternoon. ALSO READ: This is where we would be if SA sustained an economic growth rate of 4.5% Gold starts to shine again, oil price increases OPEC+ and its allies agreed on Saturday to increase oil supply by 411 000 barrels per day in July, matching the additions for May and June, in line with expectations. However, Solomon points out, late-week reports stirred fears that the group might opt for a larger hike. 'This downside surprise, coupled with geopolitical developments, including bombings in Russia and Iran's reaction to a report highlighting its growing stockpile of enriched uranium, shifted market focus to reduced oil supply compared to what was expected at the end of last week. As a result, oil prices increased by nearly 2% over the week.' Botes says the increase in the oil price is partly due to higher demand expected during the summer, as well as concerns that trouble in certain parts of the world could disrupt oil supplies. 'Wildfires in Canada also temporarily reduced the country's oil output by about 7%, although the situation has improved as rain helped control the fires. However, the momentum for higher prices slowed after Saudi Arabia pushed for OPEC+ to boost oil production by over 400,000 barrels per day in August and possibly September, aiming to meet summer demand.' Gold also increased by 1.6% as rising geopolitical and trade tensions boosted demand for the safe-haven asset. Botes says gold prices climbed to around $3,360 per ounce this week, mainly due to recent US economic data, which has been weak, causing investors to seek safer assets in which to invest their money. 'Expectations that the US Fed may not increase interest rates further also made gold more attractive. Gold is on track for a weekly gain of about 2%.' ALSO READ: No fireworks expected, but GDP figures are disappointing — economists South Africa's bleak GDP According to Statistics SA, real GDP expanded by just 0.1% in the first quarter of 2025. This follows downwardly revised growth of 0.4% (previously 0.6%) in the fourth quarter of 2024, which meant that the economy expanded by just 0.5% (from 0.6%) in 2024, down from 0.8% in 2023. Nkonki and Matshego say the meagre 0.1% growth in GDP was slightly better than their and the market's forecasts of no growth. 'Compared to the same quarter a year ago, the economy grew by 0.5%, slower than in the fourth quarter. 'Despite the lower base and patchy picture of the first quarter, we still expect the economy to gain some upward traction in the quarters ahead. The boost will continue coming from consumer demand, which should accelerate as inflation remains subdued, and interest rates decline further, bolstering real incomes and lowering borrowing costs. 'The upside will be capped by slower government spending due to fiscal constraints and sluggish fixed investment, as well as a weaker net trade position caused by fading global growth, subdued commodity prices and persistent policy uncertainties. We expect GDP to grow by 1% in 2025, only moderately better than 0.5% in 2024.' Mamello Matikinca-Ngwenya, Siphamandla Mkhwanazi, Thanda Sithole, and Koketso Mano, economists at FNB, say that while household consumption expenditure growth was maintained, the demand side of the economy reflected ongoing declines in government consumption, exports, and total fixed investment. 'The benefits of the economic reforms implemented so far are taking longer to materialise, as evidenced by the continued weakness in fixed investment. Nonetheless, we still expect growth to increase towards 2.0% by 2027, supported by ongoing structural reforms and cyclical tailwinds, including easing inflation and interest rate cuts, which should bolster household consumption. 'Overall, our near-term forecasts balance weak investment trends with a gradual recovery in consumer spending. However, risks remain tilted to the downside, particularly for fixed investment, given the still-fluid macroeconomic and policy environment. ALSO READ: Warning from industry that Steel Master Plan has stalled Business confidence decreases for first time in more than a year The results of the RMB/BER Business Confidence Index decreased by five points to 40 in the second quarter of 2025 as the recovery that started in the second quarter of 2024 stalled. Matikinca-Ngwenya, Mkhwanazi, Sithole and Mano say, considering the prevailing weakness in private sector investment and subdued business confidence, they revised their 2025 growth forecast down to 1.0%, from 1.3% previously. 'Businesses were aware that a proposed VAT hike was scrapped, although many responded before the release of Budget 3.0. Political uncertainty surrounding the GNU also influenced sentiment, though concerns about its stability eased somewhat during May.' Nkosiphindile Shange, economist at the BER, says this implies that only four out of ten business respondents in the most cyclically sensitive sectors of the economy were satisfied with prevailing business conditions. 'Only wholesale traders saw an increase in confidence, with declines across all other business segments. However, despite the declines, the confidence of retailers and new vehicle dealers remained above the long-term averages.' ALSO READ: Business confidence tanks in second quarter due to pessimism about trading conditions Absa PMI down for the seventh consecutive month The Absa PMI decreased to 43.1 points in May from 44.7 points in April, remaining in contractionary territory for a seventh consecutive month. There were some improvements in business activity and new sales orders, but the supplier deliveries index pushed the headline PMI lower. The S&P Global South Africa PMI was more positive and rose to 50.8 points in May from 50 points in April as output and new orders rose for a second consecutive month. Shange says this is the first time the PMI has been in growth territory since November 2024. Matikinca-Ngwenya, Mkhwanazi, Sithole and Mano say, fortunately, the index for expected business conditions in the near term increased by 13.9 points to 62.5, highlighting a lift in sentiment as external tariffs have been reduced, and local policy uncertainty has abated. ALSO READ: Manufacturing PMI falls to lowest level since April 2020 — bad news for GDP New vehicle sales 22% higher than a year ago According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa, new vehicle sales in May 2025 came in at 45 308 units, an increase of 22% compared to a year ago after sales grew by 11.9% in April. Out of the total reported industry sales of 45 308 vehicles, 88.4% represented dealer sales, while 6.8% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, industry corporate fleets (3%) and government sales (1.8%). Exports, on the other hand, performed poorly and fell by 14.6% compared to a year ago. Nkonki and Matshego note that exports fell to 30 112 units as a major original equipment manufacturer (OEM) halted production for upgrades. ALSO READ: New vehicle sales extended winning streak for a fifth time in May Current account deficit still narrowing The latest data from the Sarb showed that South Africa's account deficit narrowed to R35.6 billion in the first quarter of 2025, from a revised R39.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2024. The current account deficit as a ratio of GDP remained at 0.5%, while the trade surplus fell slightly to R221.2 billion from R226.4 billion in the fourth quarter as the value of imports (3.6%) increased more rapidly than exports (2.9%). Nkonki and Matshego say the drop in the nominal figure reflects an improvement in the non-trade deficit (consisting of the services' primary and secondary income accounts), which narrowed due to lower dividend and interest payments. 'Due to subdued trade performance, the current account balance will likely deteriorate this year. Imports are anticipated to outpace exports, driven by a more favourable domestic environment. Subdued inflation, higher real incomes and a relatively resilient rand will continue to bolster import demand. 'Exports face notable downside pressures due to a weaker, uncertain and generally volatile global economy. Export demand will ease on slow growth in key trade economies and softer commodity prices.'

TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- TimesLIVE
Japan's ispace counts down to second moon-landing attempt on Friday
Japanese start-up ispace aims to become the first non-US company to achieve a controlled moon landing as it prepares for the touchdown of its second uncrewed spacecraft on Friday, two years after its inaugural mission ended in failure. Tokyo-based ispace hopes to join US firms Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace, which have accomplished commercial landings since last year amid an intensifying global race for the moon that includes state-run missions from China and India. The mission also highlights broad public and private sector expectations from Japan, which remains committed to lunar exploration as part of NASA's Artemis moon programme, despite mounting uncertainty about its future as President Donald Trump reshapes US space policies. 'A moon landing is not a dream but it has become a reality,' ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada has said. The company's first lunar lander in April 2023 crashed onto the moon's surface due to a software issue that incorrectly assessed its altitude during descent over precipitous terrain. Its second lander, named Resilience, in January shared a SpaceX rocket launch with Firefly's Blue Ghost lander. Blue Ghost took a faster trajectory to the moon and touched down successfully in March. Currently circling about 100km above the lunar surface, Resilience carries a rover built by ispace's Luxembourg subsidiary and payloads worth a total of $16m, including scientific instruments from Japanese firms and a Taiwanese university. After Friday's landing on Mare Frigoris, a lunar sea relatively close to the moon's north pole, scheduled for 4:17am. Japan time (1917 GMT, Thursday), the 2.3-metre-high lander and the microwave-sized rover are tasked to capture images of regolith, the moon's fine-grained surface material. If successful, ispace said it will transfer the ownership of the collected material to NASA to fulfil what it says would be the world's first commercial transaction of lunar resources. According to a 2020 NASA statement, ispace's Japan and Luxembourg units would each receive $5,000 under this arrangement. NASA was not immediately able to comment on the impact of the Trump administration's proposed budget reductions on the contract. An ispace spokesperson declined to comment. JAPAN'S LUNAR ENTHUSIASM The company envisions establishing a lunar colony of 1,000 inhabitants by the 2040s, tapping the moon's water resources. It plans seven more missions in the US and Japan through 2029, including a NASA-sponsored one as part of the Artemis programme, to capitalise on increasing demands for lunar transportation. About a dozen corporate partners have provided support for ispace missions, including titanium materials from Citizen Watch and design expertise from automaker Suzuki. In Japan, a wide range of businesses from construction firms to carmakers engage in lunar exploration research, and the breadth of industrial interest in the moon may surpass that in the US, said Atsushi Uchida, research director at Mitsubishi Research Institute. The government has been keen to promote Japan's roles in the Artemis programme, signing an agreement with NASA last year to include two Japanese astronauts and a Toyota-built rover in forthcoming missions to the lunar surface. Exploration of the moon and Mars is one of the key objectives of Japan's newly-established multibillion-dollar space venture fund. 'Having ispace, a domestic transportation option, is a huge advantage for Japanese businesses and universities that foray into lunar exploration using government funds,' said Ritsumeikan University professor Kazuto Saiki, who participated in Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) SLIM mission that achieved Japan's first lunar landing last year. JAXA president Hiroshi Yamakawa said last month he was rooting for ispace's reattempt because their 'success will attract attention to the whole Japanese space industry'. Investors are keen. Shares in ispace, which made a blistering market debut in 2023 but languished after the landing failure, have risen about 60% year to date, epitomising a space start-up boom in the Japanese capital market.

IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
South Africa's gas sector strategy remains unclear as gas cliff looms
Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Gwede Mantashe. Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers South Africa has just nine months to address critical infrastructure, policy, and pricing developments to avert a looming gas cliff, according to discussions between government energy departments, intensive industrial users, and Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy. Industry stakeholders said the country must finalise a fiscal framework, develop a gas-aggregation platform, and conclude transactions to facilitate investment decisions for LNG importation infrastructure by 2030. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Resources Gwede Mantashe noted that the debate surrounding the gas cliff remains fragmented and lacks a cohesive strategy. He pointed to ongoing impediments to the gas sector's development, which have led to a reliance on imported gas rather than utilising South Africa's own resources. 'The court has directed the Central Energy Fund (CEF) to issue regulations to lift the moratorium on shale gas exploration in the Karoo, but progress has been slow. We have not succeeded in balancing economics and ecology, which is why we depend on imported gas instead of our own,' Mantashe said. He expressed frustration that discussions on gas supply are dominated by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and reiterated the need to develop South Africa's domestic resources. 'I believe our economic growth trajectory depends on oil and gas exploitation and use. I still want researchers and analysts to prove me wrong on that,' he added. Craig Morkel, the chairperson of the South African Oil and Gas Alliance, said South Africa has significant domestic production potential but faces serious constraints in realising it. He pointed to progress in neighboring Namibia, where discoveries of 9 billion barrels of oil equivalent have been made in the Orange Basin, which extends across the border. Production in the region is projected to reach 778 000 barrels per day by 2035. 'We are in a transition period, and gas-to-power will play a prominent role in the future energy mix, but we are not well-equipped to capitalise on our potential. We have the resources and know the demand, but we are failing to connect the two,' Morkel said. He noted that the only tangible development in local capacity is the Virginia gas fields, which, while promising, are niche and not designed to supply the entire country. 'We need much better coordination. We have nine months to get this right, based on what we aim to achieve by 2028,' he added. Jacob Human, the CEO of Industrial Gas Users South Africa (IGUA-SA), called for the urgent finalisation of a fiscal guarantees framework to enable the industry to move to a transactional level and make the necessary infrastructure investments to mitigate the gas cliff. While recent government shifts toward recognising gas-to-power (GtP) projects to anchor LNG importation demand are promising, Human argued that the strategy remains insufficiently pragmatic to support immediate investment. 'Industrial users need a clear roadmap with defined actions, timelines, and policy commitments - not further rounds of consultation or vision statements,' Human said. Morkel added that there is no clear strategy on the country's supply side, with concerning projections of gas imports rising significantly by 2033. BUSINESS REPORT Visit: