Official petrol price for April, big update for South Africa’s new airport, and how much fuel you are legally allowed to store at home

These were the five biggest stories in South Africa’s transport industry this week.

Official petrol price increases for April announced

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources’ latest fuel price adjustments came into effect on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

Petrol was initially set to go up by over R6 per litre, while diesel was facing a hike of over R10 per litre.

However, the government intervened at the last moment with a temporary reduction in the General Fuel Levy, reducing the price of both petrol and diesel by R3 per litre to R23.36 and R26.11, respectively.

How much petrol you are legally allowed to store at home in South Africa

Concerns over possible fuel shortages have prompted many South Africans to purchase and store excess fuel.

However, the government and the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa has cautioned against panic buying. They also warned that there are municipal by-laws governing how much fuel can be stored by individual households.

In Cape Town, fuel storage is regulated by flammable liquid by-laws, which state that substances may not exceed 200 litres.

8-year driver’s licence cards on track for South Africa

Transport Minister Barbara Creecy has now confirmed that work is being done in the background to transition South Africa from 5- to 8-year driver’s licence cards.

The minister confirmed this in a letter to AfriForum, adding that the public will soon be given the opportunity to comment on the preliminary version of the amended regulation.

The Department of Transport has already missed several deadlines for the new licence rollout. One concern is that the longer licence period will result in less revenue from renewals.

Dark clouds gather over Mahindra’s factory in South Africa

Carmakers in South Africa are reportedly pressuring the government to end support for semi-knock-down (SKD) assembly operations.

This could impact Mahindra, which has an SKD factory in Durban that assembles the Pik Up bakkie.

However, the brand stated that it is committed to the South African market and has plans to expand its local operations in the near future.

Big update for South Africa’s new international airport

The architectural firm Boogertman + Partners Architects has been appointed to design the Cape Winelands Airport in the Western Cape.

The Cape Winelands terminal is set to become South Africa’s newest international airport, serving as an alternative to Cape Town International for those wishing to visit the region’s famous vineyards.

Boogertman + Partners, which is one of the largest architectural practices on the African continent, will collaborate with AMD.Sigma, a strategic airport development company based in Berlin.