Motorists are paying up to R580 more to fill up their cars than they were at the start of the year.
2026 has proven to be both an excellent and disastrous year for petrol prices in South Africa, as the cost of fuel dropped to a four-year low in January and February, only for these gains to be taken away by successive hikes that have raised prices to new record highs.
From South Africa’s best to worst petrol price in just 6 months
Back in January, the cost of petrol declined by 62c per litre, causing the price of petrol 95 to drop to R20.75 per litre (inland rates).
This was the lowest petrol price South Africa had experienced in nearly four years, prior to when Russia invaded Ukraine and sent the global price of oil spiralling.
Fuel prices continued to improve in February when petrol received a similar 65c-per-litre cut, but this positive swing proved to be short-lived.
At the end of February, the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran, plunging the Middle East into a prolonged conflict.
The effect on global oil prices was immediate, with South Africa receiving a 20c petrol price bump just a few days later.
Brent crude oil shot up to over $100 per barrel between March and April, resulting in a massive R3.06 increase to South Africa’s petrol price the following month.
It would have been a R6.06 price hike, too, had it not been for the last-minute intervention by the National Treasury, which implemented a temporary R3-per-litre tax break on the General Fuel Levy (GFL).
May received an even larger R3.27 hike, which again, would have been higher if not for the GFL reduction.
While the basic fuel price actually declined this June, this was offset by the reintroduction of half of the GFL, meaning that R1.50 was added back to the cost of petrol.
These were the official fuel price adjustments over the last five months:
- February – 65c per litre decrease
- March – 20c per litre increase
- April – 306c per litre increase
- May – 327c per litre increase
- June – 146c per litre increase
The end result is that petrol has reached a new record-high of R28.06, surpassing the previous record of R26.74 set in July 2022.
Because of this, motorists are paying substantially more for petrol than they were at the start of 2026:
| Tank size | Cost to refill in January 2026 (R20.75/l) | Cost to refill in June 2026 (R28.06/l) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 litres | R622.50 | R841.80 | + R219.30 |
| 40 litres | R830.00 | R1,122.40 | + R292.40 |
| 50 litres | R1,037.50 | R1,403.00 | + R365.50 |
| 60 litres | R1,245.00 | R1,683.60 | + R438.60 |
| 70 litres | R1,452.50 | R1,964.20 | + R511.70 |
| 80 litres | R1,660.00 | R2,244.80 | + R584.80 |
Motorists are paying hundreds of rands more for petrol than they were at the start of the year.
Individuals with small hatchbacks are paying at least R220 more, while households with larger SUVs or bakkies are paying close to R600 more for a single tank.
The silver lining is that fuel prices may recover this July.
According to early data from the Central Energy Fund, petrol should drop by R2.71 per litre.
This would be more than enough to offset the remainder of the GFL (R1.50), which will be reintroduced next month.
Even so, it will likely still be a while before fuel prices recover to “normal” levels around R22 per litre, and it remains to be seen if South Africa will ever see costs dip below the R20 mark ever again.
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