The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources hereby announces the adjustment of fuel prices based on current local and international factors with effect from the 1st of April 2026.
South Africa’s fuel prices are adjusted monthly, informed by international and local factors. International factors include the fact that South Africa imports both crude oil and finished products at a price set at the international level, including importation costs, e.g., shipping costs.
The main reasons for the fuel price adjustments are due to:
1. Crude oil prices
The average Brent Crude oil price increased from 69.08 US Dollars (USD) to 93.67 USD during the period under review. This is due to the continued tension between the US and Iran, which has affected crude oil supply, especially through the Strait of Hormuz.
2. International petroleum product prices
The average international product prices followed the increasing trend of crude oil price. These factors led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin by R5,26 per litre, R9,49 per litre and R10,80 per litre, respectively. The prices of Propane and Butane remained the same during the period under review due to lower demand because of the change in season to warmer weather in the Northern Hemisphere. However, shipping costs were higher due to the conflict in the Middle East.
3. Rand/US Dollar exchange rate
The Rand depreciated on average, against the US Dollar (from 16.00 to 16.64 Rand per USD) during the period under review when compared to the previous one. This led to higher contributions to the Basic Fuel Prices of petrol, diesel and Illuminating Paraffin by 56.18 c/l, 78.07 c/l and 83.21 c/l respectively.
4. Implementation of the Slate Levy
The cumulative slate amounted to a positive balance of R4.93 billion for petrol and diesel of at the end of February 2026. In line with the provisions of the Self-Adjusting Slate Levy Mechanism, the slate levy remains unchanged at zero cents per litre (0.00c/l) in the price structures of petrol and diesel with effect from the 1st of April 2026.
5. Fuel Levy, Road Accident Fund (RAF) and Carbon Fuel Levy
The Minister of Finance, in his Budget Speech on the 25th of February 2026, announced that the Fuel Levy on petrol and diesel will increase by 9.00 c/l and 8.00 c/l respectively. The Carbon Levy will also increase by 5.00 c/l for petrol and 6.00 c/l for diesel. Therefore, the Fuel Levy in the price structure of petrol and diesel will increase to 429.0 c/l and 416.0 c/l. He further announced that the Road Accident Fund (RAF) Levy on both petrol and diesel will increase by 7.00 c/l to 225.0 c/l. These adjustments will come into effect from the 1st of April 2026.
6. Short-term Relief Measure to Address Fuel Price Increases
Due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict which has affected fuel prices globally, a temporary reduction in the general fuel levy of R3.00 per litre announced by the Minister of Finance in consultation with the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources will be implemented in the price structures of petrol and diesel from the 1st of April to the 5th of May 2026. Therefore, the fuel levy for petrol and diesel will be 129.0 c/l and 116.0 c/l respectively during this period.
7. Octane differentials between 95 and 93 petrol grades
In line with the Working Rules to determine the Basic Fuels Prices (BFP), the 95 Octane (unleaded) grade is the price-marker grade and the BFP-differential between 95 and 93 Octanes is adjusted on the first Wednesday of each quarter. The BFP Octane differential has changed during the previous quarter and therefore the retail prices of 95 and 93 petrol octanes will be different in each fuel-pricing zone with effect from the 1st of April 2025.
8. Adjustment to revised road and pipeline transport tariffs
The Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has approved the implementation of revised zone differentials into the price structures of petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin (IP). The primary transport tariffs applicable to the transport of petrol and diesel by means of the pipeline network and road network have increased. As a result, the annual adjustments to the transport tariffs applicable in petrol, diesel and IP price structures will range from an increase of 5.7 c/l in (Magisterial District Pricing Zone 15C and 17C) for petrol and diesel and 8.3 for IP, to an increase of 4.2 c/l for petrol and diesel as well as 2.3 c/l for IP (Zone 9C-Gauteng). Different transport tariff adjustments will be implemented on the 1st of April 2026. Price changes to similar products will differ in the 54 Magisterial District Pricing Zones.
9. The Maximum Refinery Gate Price (MRGP) for LPGas that is imported through the Port of Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape province.
The Maximum Refinery Gate Price (MRGP) and the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of LPGas that is imported through the Port of Saldanha Bay will be R 14 001.42 per metric ton and R 35.07 per kilogram, respectively, effective from the 1st of April 2026.
Based on current local and international factors, the fuel prices for April 2026 will be adjusted as follows:
v Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP): Three Rands and six-cents per litre (R 3.06 per litre) increase.
v Petrol 95 (ULP &LRP): Three Rands and six-cents per litre (R 3.06 per litre) increase.
v Diesel (0.05% sulphur): Seven Rands and thirty-seven cents per litre (R7.37 per litre) increase.
v Diesel (0.005% sulphur): Seven Rands and fifty-one cents per litre (R7.51 per litre) increase.
v Illuminating Paraffin (wholesale): Eleven Rands and sixty-seven cents per litre (R11.67 per litre) increase.
v SMNRP for IP: Fifteen Rands and sixty cents per litre (R15.60 per litre) increase.
v Maximum Retail Price of LPGas: One Rand and eight cents per kilogram (R1.08 per kg) increase and One Rand and twenty-three cents per kilogram (R1.23 per kg) increase in the Western Cape.
The fuel prices schedule for the different Magisterial District Zones (MDZ) will be published on Tuesday, the 31st of March 2026.