South Africans are paying up to R260 less for diesel than they were last month.
Diesel prices reached a record high in May 2026, following three months of fuel price hikes.
These increases were caused by the war in the Middle East, which caused the international price of Brent Crude oil to skyrocket to over $110 per barrel.
Thankfully, the market has stabilised over the last month with oil prices dropping to a low of $86 per barrel in late May.
Consequently, diesel is receiving an appreciable drop in price today, Wednesday, 3 June 2026.
A much-needed price drop
In March 2026, diesel prices increased by 62c per litre. This was followed by an enormous hike of up to R7.51 per litre in April.
Motorists were then hit with another massive hike in May, raising prices by another R6.19 per litre.
The end result was that the wholesale price of diesel 0.05% reached a record high of R31.17 per litre.
However, households have finally received a measure of relief with a R3.25-per-litre reduction following June’s fuel price adjustments.
This reduction would have been higher, too, but the savings were partially offset by the reintroduction of the General Fuel Levy (GFL).
The GFL for diesel was temporarily reduced by R3.97 per litre in May to shield motorists from the fuel price hikes.
Unfortunately, the National Treasury is ending this support, adding R1.97 back to the price of diesel. The remainder of the GFL will be re-added in July.
Even so, diesel motorists will see a notable difference when they fill up at the pumps this month.
This is how much it costs to fill up different tank sizes in June 2026, following the diesel price reduction.
Note that the calculations are based on the wholesale price of diesel.
| Tank size | Cost to refill in May 2026 (R31.17) | Cost to refill in June 2026 (R27.92) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 litres | R935.10 | R837.60 | – R97.50 |
| 40 litres | R1,246.80 | R1,116.80 | – R130.00 |
| 50 litres | R1,558.50 | R1,396.00 | – R162.50 |
| 60 litres | R1,870.20 | R1,675.20 | – R195.00 |
| 70 litres | R2,181.90 | R1,954.40 | – R227.50 |
| 80 litres | R2,493.60 | R2,233.60 | – R260.00 |
Even if your vehicle has a small fuel tank, you’ll see an appreciable saving of close to R100 when filling up this June.
Of course, most diesel bakkies and SUVs have an 80-litre tank, and these owners are enjoying a reduction of R260 on their fuel bill thanks to June’s price reduction.
Most of South Africa’s commuters should also reap the benefits, given that minibus taxis and larger buses run on diesel.
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