The price of petrol to expected to drop by around 10 cents a litre, with diesel as well as illuminated paraffin dropping by around six cents, Bosveld Review reports.

This is according to the the Automobile Association (AA), commenting on unaudited data released by the Central Energy Fund on Friday, December 15.

It, however, warned that the gains posted by the Rand against the US Dollar at the beginning of December could be offset by the country’s current political climate.

Read: Prepare to pay more for your fuel than Christmas presents

“The political landscape after the ANC electoral conference, as well as international economic sentiment on the oil market, will probably be the key indicators for the fuel price at month end,” the AA says.

“At the moment, our expectation is that the status quo will be maintained, with only slight changes at the pumps for January,” the Association concluded.

Some tips on how to cope with petrol hikes: 

*Spending less on luxuries like eating out

*Avoiding accumulating more credit and settling your loans quickly

*One can also consider options like starting travel clubs with colleagues or cycling, as alternative means of travelling to work.