Last month, South African motorists spent less fuel on petrol compared to the months before, and have changed their driving habits to do so.
According to new data from Discovery Insure, South Africans bought 35% less fuel in April compared to March.
This analysis is based on telematics and fuel reward card swipes from over 200,000 clients, and shows how they responded to the April fuel price increase – R3.06 per litre for petrol and R7.51 per litre for diesel.
Discovery Insure’s analysis also showed that overall fuel transactions dropped by 28% over the same period.
To sustain this, drivers have shifted their behaviour, taking 10% fewer trips and decreasing their total travelling distance by 9%.
“The data shows a clear and immediate response to higher petrol prices,” says Robert Attwell, CEO of Discovery Insure.
“Even with the government’s effort to soften the impact by temporarily cutting the fuel levy by R3, consumers are tightening their belts by driving less, combining trips, and being more deliberate about when they use their cars.”
He added that this behaviour change followed a sharp spike in activity shortly before the price increase.
“On 30 and 31 March, daily fuel transactions doubled compared to the rest of the month, while total spend on fuel rose by 81%, as drivers filled up ahead of the increase. This highlights how quickly people react,” he said.
According to Attwell, there was a strong push to fill up before the increase, driven by uncertainty and followed by a pullback as behaviour adjusted towards the end of the month.
“Fuel spend started to pick up slightly in the third week of April, showing that while people responded quickly to manage costs, they started to find a balance,” he noted.
South Africans are changing their driving habits
Despite the noted drop in fuel usage, fuel spend among motorists remains largely essential and non-discretionary.
This is according to the SpendTrend26 report, which considers data from Discovery Bank and Visa.
It found that most fuel purchases are driven by daily routines, such as commuting to and from work, school runs, and errands, meaning that they are driven by necessity and timing rather than choice.
The report also showed that while fuel still accounts for the majority of household transport costs, alternative options are becoming more popular.
More than half (58%) of all consumers surveyed claimed that they are using ride-hailing services more often than they did a year ago, with this number rising to 70% among the 18 to 30-year-old age group.
The biggest drivers (54%) were convenience and saving time, followed by social use, such as going out, which was the case for 48% of respondents, while 35% noted that rising fuel costs played a role.
This data suggests that higher fuel prices have led to a decrease in driving and are encouraging a shift towards more flexible means of getting around.
“What we are seeing is not just a reduction in driving as petrol prices increase, but an overall change in behaviour,” added Attwell.
“People are becoming more deliberate about how they move, whether that’s driving less, combining trips, or using alternatives where it makes sense.”
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