Illuminating Paraffin Price
Illuminating Paraffin (IP) is the regulated household fuel used for cooking, lighting and heating. Prices are set monthly by the DMPR.
Current Prices — July 2026
Effective from 2026-07-01. Source: Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) official Breakdown of Prices document.
| Product | Price (R/litre) |
|---|---|
| Illuminating Paraffin — Inland wholesale | R17.24 |
| Illuminating Paraffin — Coastal wholesale | R16.19 |
| SMNRP — Country-wide max retail | R22.18 |
Auto-synced daily from dmpr.gov.za. Last updated 2026-07-12.
Price History
Illuminating Paraffin (Inland wholesale) — official DMPR monthly history · 29 months of verified DMPR / DMRE data
Hover or tap any point to see that month's price. Pre-March-2026 values are sourced from Internet Archive snapshots of the official Fuel-Price-History and Breakdown-of-Prices documents published by the former Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE, now DMPR), plus BusinessTech monthly summaries for any months Wayback didn\'t fully archive.
Today's International Drivers
Rule of thumb: every $1/barrel Brent move ≈ 10c/litre change in the SA Basic Fuel Price; every 10c USD/ZAR move ≈ 14c/litre. Read more on the live Brent crude page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is paraffin VAT-free in South Africa?
Yes. Illuminating paraffin is zero-rated for VAT as a household-essential fuel.
What is the SMNRP?
The Single Maximum National Retail Price — a country-wide cap on what retailers can charge consumers for loose illuminating paraffin (excluding the cost of any packaging).
What is the difference between paraffin and kerosene?
They are the same product. "Kerosene" is the international name; "paraffin" is the term used in South Africa.
When does the paraffin price change?
Monthly, on the first Wednesday. Next adjustment: Wednesday, 5 August 2026.