Rising fuel prices and supply uncertainty in South Africa are driving more motorists to consider more fuel-efficient vehicles, with many preferring hybrids over fully electric options.
This is according to Yazi, a WhatsApp-native market research platform, whose March 2026 SA Fuel & Energy Sentiment Study surveyed 1,006 South African adults aged between 18 and 54.
The study shows that consumers are prioritising cost savings, flexibility and energy security over a full transition to EVs.
Three-quarters (75%) of respondents said the global conflict was already affecting their monthly budget, despite the study being conducted prior to the latest increase.
24% of participants said they were already considering switching to a more efficient vehicle when inland petrol prices were hovering around R20 per litre, with 84% claiming to be very open to buying a hybrid.
These findings point to a market shift that prefers hybrids over battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as a way to reduce fuel price pressures.
“We’ve already seen South Africans adopt a solar-plus-grid mindset at home, hedging against load-shedding by building in optionality,” said Yazi CEO Tim Treagus.
“This data shows the same logic is now shaping how people think about their next car. Hybrids offer exactly that: energy flexibility without a single point of failure.”
The main concern with full electric, or EV, adoption remains South Africa’s charging infrastructure and grid unreliability, as well as limited access to charging outside major metros.
Yazi’s data shows that fuel pressure is already affecting daily driver behaviour, with respondents reportedly cutting discretionary driving and combining trips, in some cases even avoiding driving altogether.
Nearly one in four participants said they were already considering changing vehicles at last month’s petrol prices, while 29% said they would do so at R25 a litre and 30% at R30 a litre.
The biggest barrier to switching from internal combustion engines to hybrid remains affordability, as 38% said lower vehicle prices were the most important factor that would influence their shift.
26% claim South Africa’s poor charging infrastructure as their biggest obstacle, while 18% want proof of real cost savings.
Chinese brands poised to benefit from hybrid shift
With so many considering the transition, and affordability being the main consideration, Chinese brands offering affordable hybrid solutions stand to gain the most.
The survey found that 44% of respondents are willing to place their trust in a Chinese-built hybrid EV, while another 32% said price would determine their willingness to buy.
Yazi noted that the arrival of more affordable Chinese hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) is helping to narrow the affordability gap that has slowed broader adoption.
Hans Greyling, General Manager of Omoda & Jaecoo South Africa, said the findings reflected a shift in how buyers assess vehicles.
“Consumers are increasingly looking beyond badge and performance to factors such as running costs, value for money and everyday usability,” he said.
“In the current South African context, that makes the flexibility of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles especially appealing.”
The data shows diesel drivers are more open to switching to hybrids, which is unsurprising given the recent steep increases in diesel prices.
56.4% of diesel drivers described themselves as very open to making the shift, while 47% of petrol drivers shared the same sentiment.
Yazi’s findings suggest that South African motorists see hybrids as a stepping stone to full electrification, particularly as a practical response to higher fuel prices.
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