Here's the latest petrol price outlook for June 2025
With just over a week to go until the new prices come into effect, there is, sadly, every chance that fuel costs may actually increase at the pumps next month – especially for petrol vehicle owners.
Vehicle owners in Mzansi saw a sizeable decrease in the cost of both petrol and diesel earlier this month.
This was mainly due to a lower brent crude oil price and a stronger rand.
However, in recent weeks, the oil price has risen after reports that Israel was preparing an attack on Iran, while the rand strengthened after Cyril Ramaphosa's meeting with Donald Trump and the Budget speech which finally took place last Wednesday.
Below, the latest projections as received by The South African website from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), effective Friday, 23 May. FUEL PRICE CHANGE Petrol 93 decrease of 19 cents Petrol 95 decrease of 19 cents Diesel 0.05% decrease of 49 cents Diesel 0.005% decrease of 49 cents Illuminating Paraffin decrease of 53 cents
If the market conditions were to remain consistent for the remainder of the month – an unlikely scenario with the rand/dollar exchange rate fluctuating and the oil price ever changing – a decrease of 19 cents is expected for petrol 93 octane motorists and a decrease of 19 cents for 95 users.
Meanwhile, diesel motorists would see something around a 49 cents per litre decrease.
Finally, illuminating paraffin is expected to drop by 53 cents in price. FUEL PRICE IN SOUTH AFRICA IMPACTED BY TWO MAIN FACTORS:
1. The international price of petroleum products, driven mainly by oil prices
2. The rand/dollar exchange rate used in the purchase of these products
Oil price
At the time of publishing the brent crude oil price is $64.84 a barrel.
Exchange rate
At the time of publishing the rand/dollar exchange rate is R17.86/$.
The final overall price changes for both petrol and diesel will be confirmed early next month with the new prices taking effect at midnight on Tuesday, 3 June 2025.
Go easy on the accelerator until then, Mzansi. INLAND May Petrol 93 R21.29 Petrol 95 R21.40 Diesel 0.05% R18.90 Diesel 0.005% R18.94 Illuminating Paraffin R13.05 COASTAL May Petrol 93 R20.50 Petrol 95 R20.61 Diesel 0.05% R18.11 Diesel 0.005% R18.18 Illuminating Paraffin R12.05
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
3 hours ago
- IOL News
Want a website for your business but unsure where to start?
Empower your business with HOSTAFRICA's Website Builder – the easy, affordable solution for South African entrepreneurs to create a professional online presence without coding skills. For South African entrepreneurs, having an online presence is no longer a luxury — it's essential. Whether you're an entrepreneur, freelancer, or small business owner, the ability to launch a website quickly and affordably can define your success. The good news? You no longer need to hire developers or master coding to get started. Thanks to HOSTAFRICA's powerful Website Builder, South African businesses can launch their websites more easily and faster than ever before. It's the ideal, beginner-friendly solution for anyone ready to turn a business idea into an online reality — without the technical headaches. Why a Smart Website Builder Is Ideal for Your Business Traditionally, building a website meant hiring a developer, writing code from scratch, or navigating multiple confusing hosting options. While effective for large enterprises, this approach is often time-consuming, expensive, and intimidating for first-time website creators. In a world where time is money and agility is key, these old-school methods no longer serve today's entrepreneurs. HOSTAFRICA's Website Builder makes building your online dream as easy as it gets: use our drag-and-drop platform to design, customise, and launch a website without writing a single line of code. Everything is visual, intuitive, and beginner-friendly — and now with built-in AI tools to guide your content creation and design choices, the process is smarter than ever. When paired with integrated hosting, it becomes a complete solution. Here's Why We Think It's the Best Option for Entrepreneurs: Start Selling from Day One Get your business online fast with everything built in: powerful e-commerce tools, an online scheduler, mobile-friendly design templates, inventory management, multiple payment gateway integrations, and Facebook & Instagram store syncing — all from a single dashboard. All-in-One Convenience No need to juggle multiple services. With your website builder, hosting, domain, and security bundled together, everything you need is in one place — saving you time, money, and hassle. Local, Human Support — 24/7 Our friendly South African-based team is always available when you need help. No chatbots, just real people providing real support. Whether you're launching an online shop, a service-based booking site, or a personal brand, HOSTAFRICA's Website Builder gives you everything you need — minus the tech headaches. How to Launch Your Website in 3 Simple Steps Getting started with HOSTAFRICA's Website Builder is incredibly simple — even if you've never built a website before. Step 1: Choose Your Domain and Hosting Plan Pick your perfect web address and select one of HOSTAFRICA's affordable plans to match your needs. Step 2: Design with Drag-and-Drop Simplicity Select from beautiful, pre-designed templates and customise them with your images, content, and branding — no coding required. Step 3: Publish and Promote Go live with a click! Then connect your website to social media, set up Google Analytics, and start sharing your business with the world. Need help? HOSTAFRICA's friendly support team is standing by to guide you every step of the way. Conclusion: It's Time to Launch Your Dream You've got the vision, the ambition, and now — the tools. With HOSTAFRICA's Website Builder, launching a professional website in South Africa is no longer a complicated or costly process. It's fast, secure, and designed to empower every entrepreneur, freelancer, and side hustler. So, whether you're wondering how to create a website for your business in South Africa, or simply looking for a trusted, all-in-one website builder in South Africa, the answer is clear: Start your journey today with HOSTAFRICA. Your dream business deserves to be seen. Media Contact HOSTAFRICA Marketing Team 📧 marketing@ 📍 12 Helena Ave, Helena Heights, Somerset West, Cape Town, 7130
IOL News
4 hours ago
- IOL News
NATO's Defence Spending: Washington's Political Will Trumps Brussels' Consensus Diplomacy
US President Donald Trump (C) flanked by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth (L) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a press conference during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025. Image: AFP Clyde N.S. Ramalaine The June 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague produced a landmark decision: member states, except for Spain, agreed to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. This bold move, which marks a significant departure from the long-standing 2% benchmark agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit, represents more than a fiscal adjustment; it signals a seismic shift in the alliance's strategic orientation. At the heart of this recalibration is the reasserted influence of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose longstanding critiques of NATO burden-sharing have now crystallised into formal policy. This article explores the rationale, implications, and geopolitical consequences of NATO's spending leap, assessing whether this shift reflects authentic alliance consensus or a recalibration driven by American political will. When NATO's 32 member states gathered in The Hague for the June 2025 summit, few anticipated the alliance would break with over a decade of precedent. But they did, agreeing to a bold, controversial, and for some, economically staggering commitment: to spend 5% of their national GDP on defence by 2035. However, NATO did not shift this policy direction out of its own conviction or internal consensus; rather, it was compelled to do so, with U.S. President Donald Trump standing at the heart of this strategic pivot, having since his first stint advocated for greater burden-sharing among member states. Trump's framing was blunt: 'Why should the U.S. keep subsidising European security when Europe can afford to pay?' In many ways, this new 5% target represents the realisation of Trump's foreign policy worldview: as it relates to NATO, a five tenet blend of transactional diplomacy, fiscal pressure, nationalist recalibration, readiness and modernisation, and geopolitical deterrence. Trump's foreign policy is often described as transactional, meaning it treats international alliances less as values-based partnerships and more as quid pro quo arrangements. NATO, in this view, is not a sacred pillar of post-WWII order but a cost-benefit enterprise. Applied politically, fiscal pressure can describe the tactic of urging or coercing other member states to increase their defence budgets to meet alliance commitments, such as Trump urging NATO allies to spend 5% of GDP. The implicit threat: fail to meet spending demands, and U.S. protection may no longer be guaranteed. Under this logic, NATO is only worthwhile if the U.S. is not carrying a disproportionate share of the financial burden. Trump repeatedly framed the alliance as an economic deal, where allies were "delinquent" in their obligations. He demanded that U.S. support be conditional on financial commitments, reducing mutual defence to a pay-to-play system. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ This further aligns with Trump's broader nationalist recalibration "America First" doctrine. This interpretation is reinforced by Trump's domestic base, which is increasingly wary of foreign entanglements. According to analysis from the Peterson Institute for International Economics, the U.S. accounted for roughly 68.7% of total NATO military spending in 2023, meaning that nearly seven in ten dollars spent by NATO members were American. With the U.S. contributing nearly 70% of NATO's total defence spending, Trump argued the arrangement was fiscally unjust. Requiring allies to spend more would redistribute responsibility and ease pressure on U.S. taxpayers. By pushing for the 2% target, and now 5%, Trump used fiscal pressure to compel policy alignment. His administration hinted that failure to meet the spending floor could lead to reduced U.S. commitment, threatening the alliance's coherence. Another component of Trump's rationale lies in readiness and modernisation. Higher spending is linked to greater military capability. Trump's advisers highlighted ageing equipment, low deployability, and interoperability challenges as evidence that current budgets were insufficient. NATO states lacked modern infrastructure, weaponry, and rapid deployment capacity. Chronic incompatibility in systems and doctrines undermined joint operations. The 5% target is not merely a financial benchmark but a demand for measurable improvements: mobile, modern, integrated forces ready for cyber warfare, space militarisation, and asymmetric threats. Trump saw increased spending as essential to transforming NATO into a technologically dominant and operationally agile force. The 5% target also serves a function of geopolitical deterrence. Trump argued that a wealthier, well-armed NATO would send a strong message to adversaries like Russia and China about the alliance's resolve. Defence spending becomes a litmus test of political will. Trump emphasised that deterrence is achieved not through communiqués but through visible military capability. By urging allies to raise spending, he sought to eliminate ambiguity that adversaries might exploit, especially in light of Russian aggression and China's assertiveness. The outcome of the Hague Summit marks an undeniable strategic win for Trump, validating his ideology for a reshaped NATO. What was once dismissed as provocative rhetoric is now policy. The agreement to move toward 5% signals not just a funding shift, but a transformation in the alliance's operational ethos. Trump hailed it as a "monumental win for the United States and the free world." This also underscores a broader realignment: NATO's direction is now synchronised with Washington's political will rather than Brussels' consensus-building. The U.S. model is assertive and top-down, driven by strategic imperatives. Brussels, by contrast, has favoured inclusive, deliberative processes. The Hague Summit reflects a power shift, where American momentum overrides European caution, reconfiguring NATO into a more hierarchical, pressure-sensitive alliance. Trump's assertiveness demonstrated that America is not only NATO's military backbone but also its ideological compass. The 5% target reflects Trump's insistence on fairness and strategic necessity. Under his leadership, burden-sharing has become a requirement, not a polite suggestion. In this context, Trump is not merely influencing NATO; he is directing it. He has repositioned the U.S. as the alliance's strategic lodestar, with the 5% threshold symbolising his imprint on NATO's long-term trajectory. Why then did the majority of NATO states agree to such an ambitious spending goal? A plausible argument is that European powers accepted the 5% benchmark not out of ideological alignment with Trump, but to ensure continued U.S. commitment to NATO—and, crucially, to Ukraine and their security. Given Trump's scepticism towards multilateral institutions and his past threats to withdraw from NATO, European leaders may have regarded the target as a calculated concession to keep the U.S. engaged. It constitutes a form of strategic appeasement: if meeting Trump's demands secures American support, then it is a price worth paying. Compounding this urgency is the perception, real or manufactured, of a renewed Russian threat. Remarks by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who recently referred to EU leaders as 'Brusselian cockroaches,' signal rhetorical escalation and reinforce NATO's view of Russia as an enduring adversary. Whether grounded in imminent threat assessments or strategic messaging, this antagonism sustains European anxiety and justifies increased military expenditure as a deterrent and necessity. By meeting Trump's demands, European leaders also give him political cover to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine's war effort. In this light, the 5% commitment becomes a tool to secure U.S. leadership for Europe's collective security. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's effusive praise of Trump reinforces this reading. His remarks lauding Trump's 'decisive action in Iran' and describing him as a 'man of peace' who is also willing to use force appeared more choreographed than spontaneous. Given NATO's growing reliance on U.S. leadership, Rutte's comments may have been a tactical gesture—an effort to affirm Trump's primacy while ensuring his continued commitment without conceding institutional authority. This shift could also enable strategic rebalancing. As Europe assumes more of the defence burden, the U.S. can reallocate resources to the Indo-Pacific, where China's rise poses a growing challenge. A more self-sufficient Europe gives Washington the bandwidth to pursue its global agenda while challenging perceptions of NATO as U.S.-dependent. With more skin in the game, Europe may gain strategic credibility and a stronger voice within the alliance. Nonetheless, challenges remain. Public sentiment in Europe remains cautious about large-scale military expansion. Polls in Germany, France, and Spain indicate a preference for diplomacy over deterrence. The political cost of sustaining 5% defence spending may prove substantial. If NATO states deliver, the Hague Summit may be remembered as the dawn of a fortified, globally relevant alliance. If not, it risks becoming another episode in summit theatre—where leaders agree in principle, delay in practice, and dilute in execution. For Trump, however, the optics are already favourable. He has altered how NATO operates, and with the 5% pledge, he has inscribed his foreign policy legacy into the alliance's future.
The South African
6 hours ago
- The South African
Tourism stats: South Africa sees over 4.2 million visitors this year
The UK has so far emerged as South Africa's fastest-growing major tourism market in 2025. From January through May this year, UK visitor numbers jumped 8.3% year-on-year to over 182 340 – outpacing all other top source markets, and second only to Italy among European nations. According to Statistics South Africa's latest International Tourism report, UK arrivals have now recovered to 90% of pre-pandemic (2019) levels. That's ahead of the country's overall overseas tourism recovery rate, which currently sits at 88%. Number of tourists' difference between Jan – May 2024 and Jan – May 2025 by country of residence. Image: Stats SA report Zooming out, South Africa's total international arrivals hit 4.22 million by the end of May, up 11.1% from the same period in 2024. Overseas arrivals grew 4.5% to 971 678, and European markets, in particular, showed solid growth at 4.9%. European tourism highlights: Italy : up 8.8% : up 8.8% The UK : up 8.3% : up 8.3% Denmark : up 7.6% : up 7.6% Russia : up 24.4% (from a smaller base) : up 24.4% (from a smaller base) Switzerland : up 5.5% : up 5.5% Germany: up 3.1% Other regional tourism trends: North America saw a 2.2% increase overall, with Canada up 6.1% and the USA up 1.5%. saw a 2.2% increase overall, with up 6.1% and the up 1.5%. Central and South America delivered a surprising 16.6% spike in arrivals. Argentina stood out with a massive 53.5% increase, while Brazil rose 13.4%. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
