Massive petrol price hike on the cards for South Africa, and bridges crumbling in Johannesburg

Petrol prices rose by over R3 yesterday, 7 October 2026, but next month could be even worse for South African motorists.

Early Central Energy Fund (CEF) data shows petrol and diesel prices are massively under-recovered, which could lead to another price hike this November.

Petrol is currently facing under-recoveries of R4.28 and R4.57 per litre, while diesel prices are set for an under-recovery of between R2.56 and R2.91 per litre.

Should these remain unchanged, next month’s price increases would push both fuels to historic highs, with petrol and diesel reaching R34.82 per litre and R36.20 per litre, respectively.

Investec Chief Economist Annabel Bishop said that diesel prices have doubled in 2026, rising from R17 per litre in January to over R34 per litre in October.

She added that this is an unprecedented jump in fuel prices not seen since 1994, placing a heavy burden on consumers and businesses with no renewed government support.

To make matters worse, Brent crude oil prices remain over $102 per barrel as attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz hit their highest level last week of any week since the Iran war began.

These renewed attacks came after Gulf producers increased exports, with attacks occurring as more crude flows out of the Gulf but at higher costs and risk to cargoes and crew. 

At the same time, producers in the Mexican Gulf shut down more than 510,000 barrels a day of crude output in response to an approaching tropical storm.

Overnight, the South African rand remained relatively stable and is trading at R16.65 to the US dollar today.

5 important things

33% petrol tax hike coming to South Africa: South African motorists have had to make peace with record-high petrol prices, and now the Road Accident Fund (RAF) has published its latest annual report, proposing increases to the RAF levy on petrol and diesel up to R3 per litre [TopAuto].

78% of bridges in South Africa’s richest city crumbling and unsafe: Johannesburg’s motorway bridges are deteriorating, with 68 bridges across the city currently in need of urgent rehabilitation or reconstruction. The City of Johannesburg has estimated that 78% of its bridges are in poor or very poor condition, while less than 6% are in good condition [Newsday].

McKenzie cedes African F1 GP will go to Rwanda in 2030: If Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie is to be believed, Rwanda is the preferred bidder for an African F1 GP in 2030. Former racer turned pundit, David Coulthard, hinted that Formula 1 would be the long-awaited return to Africa, with reports claiming Rwanda and not South Africa had secured the race from 2030 [The South African].

Nissan unveils 2027 Nissan Navara Pro PHEV with 300kW and 800Nm: The new plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Nissan Navara Pro has been spotted in fellow right-hand-drive market Australia, and is due for a launch early next year. It is already on sale in China as the Frontier Pro [CarExpert].

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