PRETORIA, Monday 5 October 2026 — South African motorists will pay more than R30 a litre for petrol in inland areas for the first time from Wednesday after the government confirmed increases of more than R3 a litre for both grades of petrol and sharp increases in diesel and illuminating paraffin.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announced on Monday that 93-octane petrol will increase by R3.12 a litre and 95-octane by R3.33 from 7 October.
The inland retail price of 95-octane petrol will consequently rise to R30.25 a litre, while 93-octane will cost R29.88.
At the coast, 95-octane petrol will increase to R29.38 a litre.
The increase takes inland 95-octane petrol beyond R30 for the first time and above its previous record of R28.06 a litre.
Diesel also rises sharply
Diesel users will face substantial increases.
The wholesale price of 0.05% sulphur diesel will rise by R2.84 a litre, while 0.005% sulphur diesel will increase by R3.24.
The new inland wholesale prices will be R31.95 and R33.29 a litre respectively.
Wholesale illuminating paraffin will increase by R3.58 a litre, while the single maximum national retail price of illuminating paraffin will rise by R4.77.
Liquefied petroleum gas will increase by 42 cents per kilogram nationally and by 48 cents in the Western Cape.
Oil price surge drives increase
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources attributed most of the increase to higher international oil and petroleum-product prices.
Average Brent crude increased from $87.89 to about $101 a barrel during the review period.
The department attributed the increase to continuing tensions between the United States and Iran, uncertainty surrounding oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, higher shipping costs and declining international inventories.
Higher international product prices added about 329 cents a litre to the Basic Fuel Price for petrol and about 280 cents to diesel.
The rand provided almost no meaningful relief.
Its average exchange rate strengthened marginally from about R16.214 to R16.212 against the US dollar during the review period, reducing the Basic Fuel Price by less than one cent a litre.
Record price adds pressure to households
The adjustment represents an increase of roughly 12% in the inland price of 95-octane petrol in a single month.
The R30.25 inland price exceeds the previous record of R28.06 reached earlier in 2026.
Higher petrol and diesel prices affect consumers beyond the direct cost of filling vehicles because South Africa relies heavily on road transport for freight and passenger travel.
Diesel increases can feed through into the cost of agriculture, logistics, manufacturing and food distribution.
The latest increase also comes while households are facing higher borrowing costs.
Higher fuel prices have already contributed to inflationary pressure during 2026, with Bloomberg reporting that rising fuel costs since the escalation of the US-Iran conflict helped push consumer inflation to 4.4%.
The South African Reserve Bank has raised interest rates twice this year as it seeks to contain inflation around its 3% target.
International developments remain key risk
South Africa imports crude oil and refined petroleum products at internationally determined prices, leaving domestic fuel prices exposed to changes in global oil markets and the rand-dollar exchange rate.
The October adjustment illustrates the scale of that exposure.
The rand was effectively unchanged over the official review period, meaning the international oil-price increase flowed almost directly into the Basic Fuel Price.
Further changes in the conflict affecting oil-producing and transit regions could therefore influence the November fuel-price adjustment.
The new October prices take effect at midnight on Wednesday, 7 October.
