The price of petrol is R4.83 per litre higher than it was at the start of the year, almost entirely due to the war in Iran.
South Africa actually started 2026 with its lowest petrol price in several years, but the downward trend in fuel prices was shattered when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran in late February.
Prior to this, South Africa’s petrol price dropped by 62c per litre in January, bringing the price of petrol 95 to R20.75 per litre at inland rates.
This is significant because it marked South Africa’s lowest petrol price since early 2022, before the Russia-Ukraine war, which led to a massive spike in global oil prices.
The positive momentum carried over to February with a 65c per litre cut; however, oil prices skyrocketed from $60 to $80 per barrel when tensions between the US and Iran erupted into all-out war.
Since the attacks happened so late in the month, South Africa only received a 20c per litre price increase in March, bearing in mind it was originally set for another reduction
In March, oil prices surged to over $110 per barrel, resulting in a staggering R6.06 per litre petrol price increase at the start of April.
This was offset by an emergency R3-per-litre fuel tax cut implemented by the government to soften the blow to consumers.
The fuel tax relief measure carried over to May, which saw another massive R3.27 per litre increase.
However, the National Treasury halved the tax cut in June to R1.50 per litre, and the country experienced another increase of R1.46 per litre.
The fuel relief measure came to an end in July, though thankfully, global oil prices had receded to a low of $72 per barrel in late June.
As a result, South Africa enjoyed a R1.96 per litre price cut in July. August saw a smaller but still welcome reduction of 52c per litre.
These were the official fuel price adjustments over the last seven months:
- February – 65c per litre decrease
- March – 20c per litre increase
- April – 306c per litre increase
- May – 327c per litre increase
- June – 146c per litre increase
- July – 196c per litre decrease
- August – 52c per litre decrease
While the situation has improved over the last two months, the unfortunate reality is that motorists are paying far more for fuel than they were at the start of the year.
Right now, petrol 95 is for R25.58 per litre at inland rates, R4.83 more than the R20.75 they were paying at the start of the year.
The following table shows the cost difference between filling different tank sizes in January compared to the latest price this August:
| Tank size | Cost to refill in January 2026 (R20.75/l) | Cost to refill in August 2026 (R25.58/l) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 litres | R622.50 | R767.40 | +R144.90 |
| 40 litres | R830.00 | R1,023.20 | +R193.20 |
| 50 litres | R1,037.50 | R1,279.00 | +R241.50 |
| 60 litres | R1,245.00 | R1,534.80 | +R289.80 |
| 70 litres | R1,452.50 | R1,790.60 | +R338.10 |
| 80 litres | R1,660.00 | R2,046.40 | +R386.40 |
Motorists are paying anywhere from R144 to R386 more to fill up a tank this August as a result of the petrol price hikes.
Unfortunately, the situation isn’t looking much better this September, as data from the Central Energy Fund indicates that petrol will experience an under-recovery of 94c per litre next month.
This is because oil prices are rising again due to the latest developments in the Middle East, reaching $93 per barrel as peace talks between the US and Iran have collapsed.
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