What it costs to drive from Joburg to Durban at R22 per litre

Motorists can expect to pay at least R1,961,74 to drive from Johannesburg to Durban and back, based on the current price of petrol.

South Africa has unfortunately experienced four consecutive months of fuel price hikes as of February 2025, leading to noticeably higher travel costs for anyone making a longer trip.

City to coast at R22 per litre

Using central Gauteng as a starting point, the route down to Durban is approximately 584km long and will take around six hours.

Petrol 95 is currently retailing for R22.41 per litre at inland rates, following the latest increases that took effect in early February.

Consequently, this is how much you will need to budget for petrol based on your car’s fuel efficiency:

Petrol costs are only half the story, though, as there are five separate toll plazas along the N3.

These are the up-to-date fees for each of the toll booths:

• Mooi – R66
• Wilge – R88
• Tugela – R94
• De Hoek – R63
• Marian Hill – R15.50

All told, these tabs will add another R326.50 to your travel tab.

Thankfully, e-tolls have been shut down for 10 months as of this February, which takes away a small but appreciable part of the final fee.

Putting together the toll and petrol costs then shows that drivers will need to spend a minimum of R980.87 to make it to the coast at the current fuel rate, assuming they have a very efficient car.

In contrast, anyone who plans to make the drive in a powerful yet thirsty set of wheels will likely spend around R2,027.87 to do so.

Of course, this is only for the journey down to Durban, as we have to double these figures to account for anyone making a return trip.

In this case, South Africans will be spending anywhere from R1,961,74 to R4,055.74 to drive from Joburg to Durban and back this February.