How the South African petrol price is set, and what changed in 2026
Petrol in South Africa does not float freely like the price of bread. The government sets the maximum retail price of petrol every month using a published formula. This guide explains that formula in plain terms, shows how prices moved in 2026, and explains the fuel levy relief announced in October. Our live tracker is at cars.randswitch.com/petrol-price.
Who sets the price, and when
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) adjusts fuel prices on the first Wednesday of every month. The Central Energy Fund calculates the numbers every day during the month, and the average over the period decides the next adjustment. So the price you pay in November reflects what happened to oil and the rand in October. The price lags world markets by about a month.
According to the DMPR:
- Petrol has a regulated retail price. Every garage in the same zone charges the same price for the same grade.
- Diesel and illuminating paraffin have a regulated wholesale price. Garages may charge different retail prices for diesel.
- LPG has a maximum retail price.
The building blocks of the price
The DMPR breaks the fuel price into these parts:
| Building block | What it is |
|---|---|
| Basic Fuel Price (BFP) | What it would cost to import the fuel: the international product price plus freight, insurance and other costs to land it here, converted to rand |
| Taxes and levies | General fuel levy, carbon fuel levy, Road Accident Fund (RAF) levy, customs and excise, the slate levy and smaller levies such as the Demand Side Management Levy and petroleum pipelines levy |
| Margins | Wholesale and retail margins set for the industry, including the service station's margin |
| Transport and other costs | Getting fuel from the coast to inland areas (priced by magisterial zone), plus stock financing |
The BFP: oil prices and the rand
The BFP is an "import parity" price. It uses international product prices rather than crude oil directly. For petrol, the DMPR uses 50% Mediterranean and 50% Singapore prices. For diesel and paraffin it uses 50% Mediterranean and 50% Arab Gulf prices. These are converted at the daily rand/US dollar exchange rate at 11:00.
This is why two things move the petrol price most: the price of refined fuel overseas and the rand. A weaker rand makes the same barrel more expensive in rand.
Taxes and levies we can confirm
SARS publishes the fuel levies in Schedule 1 of the Customs and Excise Act. From 1 April 2026, for petrol:
| Levy (petrol) | Cents per litre from 1 Apr 2026 | Before |
|---|---|---|
| General fuel levy | 410c | 401c |
| Carbon fuel levy | 19c | 14c |
| Road Accident Fund levy | 225c | 218c |
| Total of these three | 654c (R6.54) | 633c |
For diesel, the general fuel levy is 393c and the carbon fuel levy is 23c per litre from the same date.
On top of this sits the slate levy, which recovers past under-recoveries when the regulated price was below cost. Our tracker recorded it at 87.66c per litre after an increase of 4.38c in October 2026, based on the Minister's October statement. We could not re-open that statement on 1 November because the government site timed out, so treat this figure as "as recorded" until rechecked.
What we do not know
We have not obtained the October 2026 rand breakdown of the BFP, margins and transport costs. So we cannot tell you exactly how many rand of a litre went to the importer, the retailer or transport. We prefer to say so rather than guess. The DMPR publishes the full structure on its fuel price page, and we plan to add it to the tracker.
Worked example: the levy share of a litre in October 2026
Official price of 95 unleaded inland (Gauteng) from 7 October 2026: R30.25 a litre.
- Fuel levy + carbon levy + RAF levy = R6.54.
- Add the slate levy as recorded = R0.88 (rounded).
- Total = about R7.42 a litre, roughly a quarter of the pump price.
At 1 250 km a month in a car using 8 L/100km on paper (we add 30% for real-world driving, so 10.4 L/100km), you use about 130 litres a month. About R965 of that month's fuel bill is these taxes and levies.
How prices moved in 2026
Official 95 unleaded prices, in rand per litre (Gauteng is "inland", coastal is the coastal price):
| Adjustment date | 95 inland | 95 coastal | Diesel 0.05% inland (wholesale) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 2026 | R20.75 | R19.92 | R18.42 |
| 4 Feb 2026 | R20.10 | R19.27 | R17.92 |
| 4 Mar 2026 | R20.30 | R19.47 | R18.54 |
| 1 Apr 2026 | R23.36 | R22.49 | R25.91 |
| 6 May 2026 | R26.63 | R25.76 | R31.18 |
| 3 Jun 2026 | R28.06 | R27.19 | R27.93 |
| 1 Jul 2026 | R26.10 | R25.23 | R24.79 |
| 5 Aug 2026 | R25.58 | R24.71 | R26.17 |
| 2 Sep 2026 | R26.92 | R26.05 | R29.11 |
| 7 Oct 2026 | R30.25 | R29.38 | R31.95 |
For comparison, 95 inland was R21.63 in October 2025. So the October 2026 price was R8.62 a litre (about 40%) higher than a year earlier. Our tracker notes that Brent crude rose from about US$87.89 to US$101 a barrel in the period behind the October increase.
What this means for a household
Using our tracker's method (8 L/100km on paper, +30% real-world, 1 250 km a month = 130 litres), the R9.50 rise between January and October costs about R1 235 more a month in fuel.
The November and December 2026 levy relief
In the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on 21 October 2026, the Minister of Finance announced temporary fuel levy relief (SAnews, 21 October 2026):
| Period | Petrol | Diesel |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Nov to 1 Dec 2026 | R1.50 a litre off the general fuel levy | R3.00 a litre off |
| After that until 5 Jan 2027 | R1.00 a litre off | R1.50 a litre off |
The government estimates the cost at R10 billion. The relief reduces the levy part of the price. It does not tell you the final November price, because the BFP for October also changes. When we wrote this on 1 November 2026, the official price for 4 November had not been published. Our tracker will show it once the DMPR announces it. An earlier forecast on our tracker, made on 17 October, did not include the levy relief, so we have removed it.
FAQ
Why is coastal petrol cheaper? Inland prices include the cost of moving fuel from the coast. In October 2026 the gap was 87c a litre.
Why do diesel prices differ between garages? Only the diesel wholesale price is regulated, so retailers set their own pump price.
Does a strong rand help straight away? Only partly. Prices are set on a monthly average, so a stronger rand in one week shows up at the next adjustment.
Is the levy relief permanent? No. As announced, it ends on 5 January 2027.
Related tools
- Petrol price tracker and history: cars.randswitch.com/petrol-price
- Running cost of your car vs an EV or hybrid: cars.randswitch.com/upgrade
- Compare cars: cars.randswitch.com/compare
Sources
- DMPR, Fuel price structure: www.dmpr.gov.za/Branches/Petroleum-Resources/Fuel-Price-Structure (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- DMPR, Fuel prices (latest documents, 7 October 2026): www.dmpr.gov.za/Branches/Petroleum-Resources/Fuel-Prices (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- SARS, Tariff amendments 2026 (Schedule 1, Parts 5A and 5B, fuel and RAF levies): www.sars.gov.za/latest-news/legal-counsel-secondary-legislation-tariff-amendments-2026-6/ (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- SAnews, Finance Minister announces fuel levy relief, 21 Oct 2026: www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/finance-minister-announces-fuel-levy-relief (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- Fuels Industry Association of South Africa, Fuel prices (current and past), used to cross-check 2025 and 2026 prices: fuelsindustry.org.za/consumer-information/fuel-prices-current-past/ (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
- RandSwitch Cars petrol price tracker (our own data): cars.randswitch.com/petrol-price (accessed 1 Nov 2026)
More guides
- EV vs petrol running costs in South Africa: a worked comparison
- What it costs to charge an electric car at home in South Africa
- The real cost of owning a car in South Africa: a 5-year worked example
- 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.