JOHANNESBURG: The retail price of petrol in South Africa will increase by up to 39 cents or nearly 3 percent a litre from next Wednesday, while wholesale diesel will rise by 32 cents or 2.5 percent, the Department of Energy said on Friday.

Petrol will cost 13.57 rand ($1.31) a litre and diesel 12.87 rand in the main Gauteng inland region, the department said in a statement.