The real cost of owning a car in South Africa: a 5-year worked example
The sticker price is only the start. Over five years, fuel, servicing and licence fees can add more than half the car's price again. This guide shows how our 5-year cost calculator at cars.randswitch.com/cost adds it up, using two real cars, and is honest about the costs nobody can estimate for you.
What goes into the total
| Cost | How we work it out | Can we estimate it for you? |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | The brand's official recommended retail price on the date shown | Yes, from manufacturer sites (not a dealer quote) |
| Fuel or electricity | km × claimed consumption × price, held flat | Yes, but real-world use is usually higher |
| Servicing | R0 while the published service plan applies, then your yearly estimate | Only partly. The R6 000 default after the plan is a placeholder |
| Licence fees | Gauteng fee by tare mass, from the official Provincial Gazette | Yes for Gauteng if you know the tare; enter your own for other provinces |
| Insurance | Your own quote | No |
| Resale value | Your own estimate | No |
| Finance interest | Not included | No |
We leave insurance and resale blank on purpose. Both depend on you: your age, where you park, your claims history and the market when you sell. A made-up average would look precise and be wrong for most people.
The fuel price we use
Petrol is the official 95 inland price from 7 October 2026: R30.25 a litre. Diesel is the official 50ppm Gauteng wholesale price on the same date. Electric cars use R3.60 a kWh plus 10% charging losses. For plug-in hybrids we assume 70% of kilometres on electricity and 6 L/100km for the rest, which is our own estimate.
Prices are held flat for the whole period. They will not stay flat, so treat the fuel line as "at today's prices". See our petrol price guide for how prices moved in 2026.
Gauteng licence fees
Licence fees depend on the car's tare mass (its empty weight), which you find on the registration certificate (RC1). From the Gauteng Provincial Gazette No. 292 of 12 August 2025, Notice 635, item 2.2:
| Tare mass | Yearly fee |
|---|---|
| 0–250 kg | R252 |
| 251–500 kg | R396 |
| 501–750 kg | R432 |
| 751–1 000 kg | R456 |
| 1 001–1 250 kg | R528 |
| 1 251–1 500 kg | R732 |
| 1 501–1 750 kg | R852 |
| 1 751–2 000 kg | R1 104 |
| 2 001–2 250 kg | R1 284 |
| 2 251–2 500 kg | R1 536 |
Bands continue up to 3 751–4 000 kg at R3 216. An increase for 2026 has been proposed but was not final when we checked. Other provinces set their own fees, so use the amount on your renewal notice.
Worked example: Suzuki Swift vs VW Polo Vivo over 5 years
Two popular petrol hatchbacks, using our database (manufacturer prices and claimed fuel use):
| Suzuki Swift 1.2 GL MT | VW Polo Vivo 1.6 77kW Style | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R228 900 | R324 600 |
| Claimed fuel use | 4.4 L/100km | 6.2 L/100km |
| Service plan | 4 yr / 60 000 km | 2 yr / 30 000 km |
Assumptions: 1 250 km a month (15 000 km a year, 75 000 km in total), 95 inland petrol at R30.25, servicing R6 000 a year once the plan ends, and both cars in the 1 001–1 250 kg licence band (R528 a year). We have not confirmed either car's tare mass; we use the same band only to keep the example simple. Check your own RC1.
Fuel
- Swift: 12.5 × 4.4 = 55 litres a month × R30.25 = R1 664 a month, or R99 825 over 60 months.
- Vivo: 12.5 × 6.2 = 77.5 litres × R30.25 = R2 344 a month, or R140 663 over 60 months.
Servicing
- Swift: the plan covers 4 years or 60 000 km. At 15 000 km a year both run out together at the end of year 4, so you pay for year 5 only: R6 000.
- Vivo: the plan ends at 2 years / 30 000 km, so you pay for years 3, 4 and 5: R18 000.
Totals
| 5-year cost | Swift | Vivo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | R228 900 | R324 600 |
| Fuel (claimed use) | R99 825 | R140 663 |
| Servicing after plan | R6 000 | R18 000 |
| Licence (5 × R528) | R2 640 | R2 640 |
| Total (excluding insurance and resale) | R337 365 | R485 903 |
With 30% added for real-world fuel use, the totals rise to about R367 313 (Swift) and R528 101 (Vivo).
The Vivo is the bigger, more powerful car, so this is not a like-for-like verdict. It shows how much running costs add: fuel alone adds 44% of the Swift's price and 43% of the Vivo's over five years.
Service plans: read the fine print
A service plan covers scheduled services. It does not cover tyres, brake pads, wiper blades, batteries or damage. "Whichever comes first" matters: drive 2 000 km a month and a 60 000 km plan ends after 2.5 years, not 4. Our calculator applies this rule automatically.
Costs to add yourself
- Insurance. Get at least two quotes. Add the monthly premium in the calculator.
- Resale. Look up what a car of the same model and age sells for today, and be conservative.
- Finance. If you finance, interest can be a large share of the total. Ask the lender for the total cost of credit on the written quote, not just the monthly instalment.
- Tyres and wear items, especially once the plan ends.
- Parking, tolls and e-tolls where they apply.
FAQ
Why does your fuel figure look low? Claimed figures come from lab tests. Real driving, traffic and air-con usually push use up. Our upgrade tool adds 30%.
Is R6 000 a year a fair servicing figure? It is only a placeholder. Ask a dealer or independent workshop for your model's service schedule and price, and enter that.
Do you include the licence disc fee? There is a separate field for it. Enter the amount from your renewal notice.
Do you get paid when I buy a car? No. We do not sell cars, finance or insurance, and we take no money from dealers.
Related tools
- 5-year cost calculator: cars.randswitch.com/cost
- Compare specs: cars.randswitch.com/compare
- Should I switch to a hybrid or EV? cars.randswitch.com/upgrade
- Petrol price tracker: cars.randswitch.com/petrol-price
Sources
- Gauteng Provincial Gazette No. 292, 12 August 2025, Notice 635 item 2.2 (licence fees), copy hosted by the Law Library: media.lawlibrary.org.za/media/legislation/307060/source_file/0dba3ac4eb76ebf9/gauteng-provincial-road-traffic-amendment-regulations-2025.pdf (accessed 1 Nov 2026; table as used in our calculator at cars.randswitch.com/cost)
- DMPR, Fuel prices (7 Oct 2026 adjustment): www.dmpr.gov.za/Branches/Petroleum-Resources/Fuel-Prices (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- Fuels Industry Association of South Africa, 2026 fuel prices: fuelsindustry.org.za/consumer-information/fuel-prices-current-past/ (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- RandSwitch Cars comparison data (manufacturer prices, fuel use and service plans, built 18 Oct 2026): cars.randswitch.com/compare (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- RandSwitch Cars upgrade tool methodology (real-world uplift): cars.randswitch.com/upgrade/how (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
More guides
- How the South African petrol price is set, and what changed in 2026
- EV vs petrol running costs in South Africa: a worked comparison
- What it costs to charge an electric car at home in South Africa
- How we calculate take-home pay in South Africa (2026/27 tax year)
How we research, update and correct these guides: editorial policy. Information only, not financial or tax advice.