What it costs to drive from Joburg to Cape Town at R20 per litre
This may be the cheapest time to make a road trip in South Africa for quite some time, as fuel prices are expected to skyrocket next month in the wake of the war in the Middle East.
While petrol prices are currently sitting at their lowest point in four years at roughly R20 per litre, the cost of petrol and diesel could shoot up by as much as R8 per litre in April if the international price of Brent Crude oil continues to surge well past $100 per barrel.
While oil prices were sitting at around $63 per barrel in late February, the United States and Israel’s conflict with Iran has sent prices to a high of $104 per barrel as of the time of writing – a 65% increase.
Economists have also warned that the war in the Middle East is likely to be a protracted conflict, meaning it may be a while before fuel prices recovery.
Unfortunately, this spike in oil prices lines up with the Easter holiday period at the end of March, when many families will be making trips to major cities like Cape Town and Durban.
It’s therefore a good idea to fill up before next month’s fuel price adjustments kick in, especially if you plan to drive down to Cape Town in the near future.
Joburg to Cape Town
Using Sandton as a general starting point for anyone living in Gauteng, the drive to Cape Town will cover approximately 1,413km and take 15 hours, assuming you follow the N1.
Right now, motorists are paying R20.30 per litre for petrol 95, following the latest fuel price adjustments that took effect on Wednesday 4 March 2025.
Based on these factors, this is how much you can expect to spend on petrol to make the trip, depending on your car’s average fuel consumption:
| Efficiency | Fuel needed | One-way trip | Return trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.0l/100km | 71 litres | R1,441.30 | R2,882.60 |
| 6.0l/100km | 85 litres | R1,725.50 | R3,451.00 |
| 7.0l/100km | 99 litres | R2,009.70 | R4,019.40 |
| 8.0l/100km | 113 litres | R2,293.90 | R4,587.80 |
| 9.0l/100km | 127 litres | R2,578.10 | R5,156.20 |
| 10.0l/100km | 141 litres | R2,862.30 | R5,724.60 |
Unfortunately, petrol is not the only cost to consider when planning a road trip, as we have to factor in the various toll gates dotted along the route.
Provided you follow the N1, you’ll encounter four toll gates – Grasmere in Gauteng, Vaal and Verkeerdevlei in the Free State, and the Huguenot Tunnel in the Western Cape.
In February, the South African National Roads Agency (SANRAL) announced it would raise the fees at all major toll plazas in line with the Consumer Price Index.
This translated to a 3.12% increase across the board, which came into effect on 1 March 2026.
These are the up-to-date prices for each of the N1 toll plazas you’ll pass on the way to Cape Town:
- Grasmere – R27.50
- Vaal – R91.50
- Verkeerdevlei – R78.50
- Huguenot – R54.50
Altogether, the toll fees add R252 to our travel bill, or R504 for a return trip.
Tallying up the petrol and toll bills, we can calculate that it will cost anywhere from R1,945.30 to R3,366.30 to drive from the City of Gold to the Mother City, depending on how fuel-efficient your car is.
We can double these figures to work out the cost of a return trip, which works out to between R3,890.60 and R6,732.60.
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