Official figures — September 2026. These are the confirmed prices published by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), effective Wednesday, 2 September 2026. Petrol 93 and 95 both rose 134 c/l, diesel 500ppm rose 294 c/l, diesel 50ppm rose 315 c/l and illuminating paraffin rose 213 c/l. The previous official prices took effect on 5 August 2026.
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What Is Basic Fuel Price
Quick Summary: The Basic Fuel Price (BFP) is the core formula used by the South African government to determine the international cost element of fuel before local taxes, levies, transport costs, and retail margins are added. It calculates what it would hypothetically cost a South African importer to purchase refined fuel from international refineries and transport it to domestic ports.
What Is Basic Fuel Price: current price
Direct answer
In South Africa, the Basic Fuel Price (BFP) makes up roughly 45% to 55% of the total price drivers pay at the pump. The remaining percentage consists of domestic government taxes—such as the General Fuel Levy and Road Accident Fund (RAF) Levy—along with transport, wholesale, and retail margins.
For the current official pricing cycle, the baseline BFP metrics sit at:
- Effective Period: September 2026
- 95 Unleaded Petrol (BFP Baseline): 1,185.40 c/l (R11.85/l)
- Diesel 50ppm (Wholesale BFP Baseline): 1,210.15 c/l (R12.10/l)
Whether you are checking what is Basic Fuel Price today or tracking the current what is Basic Fuel Price, this import benchmark is calculated on every business day by the Central Energy Fund (CEF) and officially gazetted on the first Wednesday of every month by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).
Supporting explanation
The BFP formula operates on an import parity pricing principle. Even though South Africa refines a portion of its fuel locally, all domestic fuel is priced as if it were imported as refined product from major international refining hubs across the Mediterranean, Arab Gulf, and Singapore.
To calculate the BFP, the DMRE incorporates several international factors:
$$\text{BFP} = \text{FOB Price} + \text{Freight} + \text{Insurance} + \text{Ocean Loss} + \text{Cargo Dues} + \text{Demurrage} + \text{Financing Costs}$$
- Free On Board (FOB) Spot Price: The international market price of refined fuel at key export hubs.
- Ocean Freight: The cost of shipping refined fuel via tankers to South African ports.
- Insurance & Ocean Loss: Marine insurance (fixed at 0.15% of FOB) and an allowance for product evaporation during transit (0.3%).
- Cargo Dues & Terminal Handling: Coastal harbor fees paid to the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA).
- Demurrage & Financing: Standard allowances for vessel delay risks and short-term financing costs incurred during the shipping voyage.
Latest petrol and fuel price table
The table below breaks down how the latest what is Basic Fuel Price integrates with domestic levies and margins to form the final inland and coastal pump prices across South Africa.
Effective Date: September 2026 | Figures expressed in Rands per litre (R/l) and cents per litre (c/l)
| Fuel Grade | Import BFP (c/l) | Domestic Levies & Margins (c/l) | Coastal Pump / Wholesale Price (R/l) | Inland Pump / Wholesale Price (R/l) |
| Petrol 93 Unleaded | 1,165.20 c/l | 1,120.50 c/l | R22.15/l | R22.85/l |
| Petrol 95 Unleaded | 1,185.40 c/l | 1,120.50 c/l | R22.35/l | R23.05/l |
| Diesel 50ppm (Wholesale) | 1,210.15 c/l | 980.25 c/l | R21.20/l | R21.90/l |
| Diesel 500ppm (Wholesale) | 1,195.10 c/l | 975.10 c/l | R21.00/l | R21.70/l |
Note: Official fuel prices are gazetted on the first Wednesday of each calendar month by the DMRE. Historical baseline shifts can be reviewed on our main Basic Fuel Price South Africa reference pillar.
Price change from the previous month
Understanding monthly BFP adjustments
The BFP fluctuates throughout the month driven by two primary international market forces:
- International Refined Petroleum Product Prices: Driven by global crude oil supply and demand, refinery capacity outages, and geopolitical shifts.
- USD / ZAR Exchange Rate: Because international fuel products are quoted in US Dollars ($), a weakening Rand increases the Rand-denominated BFP, even if global oil prices remain flat.
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Monthly BFP Dynamics |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Global Product Prices ($) + USD/ZAR Exchange Rate |
| │ |
| ▼ |
| Daily BFP Calculation (CEF) |
| │ |
| ▼ |
| Daily Over/Under Recovery Accumulation (c/l) |
| │ |
| ▼ |
| Official Monthly Price Adjustment (DMRE Gazetted) |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
When international product prices or the exchange rate move favorably during the month, the daily BFP falls below the baseline set at the start of the period, creating an over-recovery (which leads to a price cut the following month). Conversely, if market conditions deteriorate, an under-recovery builds up (leading to a price increase).
Inland vs coastal prices
How transport costs separate inland from coastal rates
A common question when analyzing what is Basic Fuel Price South Africa is why inland motorists pay higher fuel prices than coastal drivers.
- The BFP is identical across the entire country: The basic import cost calculated at sea level applies equally whether fuel is sold in Durban or Johannesburg.
- Zone Differentials cause the price gap: Moving fuel inland from coastal entry ports via pipelines, rail, or road tankers incurs significant logistics expenses.
Gauteng, located in Pricing Zone 9C, incurs an additional transport tariff (zone differential) of roughly 70 c/l to 80 c/lcompared to coastal entry ports (Zone 1A). This transport cost is added directly to the BFP and fixed levies, which explains why inland retail prices are consistently higher.
Petrol grades, diesel and related fuels
93 vs 95 Unleaded petrol
- Petrol 93 Unleaded: Formulated for higher-altitude inland conditions where lower atmospheric pressure reduces the risk of engine knock.
- Petrol 95 Unleaded: Required for high-performance engines inland and mandatory for all petrol vehicles operating at sea level.
- Pricing Difference: 95 ULP commands a higher international refining premium than 93 ULP, resulting in a slightly higher BFP component (typically a 15 c/l to 25 c/l difference).
Diesel 50ppm vs 500ppm and commercial use cases
Unlike petrol—which is subject to strict retail price control by government decree—diesel prices are deregulated at the retail pump level.
- DMRE Sets Wholesale Reference: The DMRE publishes a maximum wholesale price for diesel (based on its underlying BFP plus taxes and margins), but individual service stations and commercial distributors set their own retail markups.
- 50ppm vs 500ppm: 50ppm diesel features a lower sulfur content, requiring additional refining steps that give it a slightly higher BFP than high-sulfur 500ppm diesel.
- Fleet Relevance: Commercial fleets purchasing bulk diesel negotiate directly off the published wholesale BFP reference table to secure volume discounts.
How to use this price information
Practical applications for fleets, analysts, and developers
Understanding what is Basic Fuel Price 2026 helps commercial teams, analysts, and businesses make informed financial decisions:
- Fleet Managers: Use raw BFP movements to audit bulk supplier fuel surcharge invoices and negotiate competitive wholesale pricing contracts.
- Financial Analysts: Evaluate macro inflation indicators; BFP shifts directly impact transport CPI and consumer disposable income projections.
- Software Developers & System Integrators: Integrate structured fuel price data South Africa metrics into ERP platforms, logistics routing engines, and financial models.
Related tools and updates
Fuel cost calculator and predictions
To explore related tools, historical archives, and predictive modeling:
- Calculate Trip Costs: Estimate running costs for your fleet or private travel using our interactive tool to calculate fuel cost.
- Next Month Projections: Track daily CEF over/under-recovery indicators to preview upcoming rate shifts via our petrol price next month forecast engine.
- Deep Pillar Guide: Access full historical data archives, tax levy breakdowns, and regulatory methodologies on our main Basic Fuel Price South Africa resource hub.
- Educational Knowledge Base: Learn more about South African energy policy on our general fuel price education hub.
Dataset overview, fields, coverage, and format
For enterprise users, analysts, and software engineers requiring raw fuel metrics:
Dataset Specification
- Dataset Name: South African Basic Fuel Price & Pump Components
- Coverage: National (Inland Zone 9C, Coastal Zone 1A)
- Fuel Types Covered: 93 ULP, 95 ULP, Diesel 50ppm, Diesel 500ppm, Illuminating Paraffin
- Primary Data Sources: Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), Central Energy Fund (CEF)
- Update Frequency: Monthly (Official gazette release, typically the first Wednesday of each month)
Standard Data Schema
| Field Name | Type | Unit / Format | Description |
effective_date | Date | YYYY-MM-DD | Date the price adjustment takes legal effect. |
fuel_grade | String | Enum | Product grade (e.g., 95_ULP, DIESEL_50PPM). |
bfp_total | Float | cents_per_litre | Total calculated Basic Fuel Price component. |
zone_code | String | Text | Geographic pricing zone (e.g., 9C_INLAND, 1A_COASTAL). |
retail_pump_price | Float | rands_per_litre | Published retail price (petrol) or wholesale benchmark (diesel). |
JSON
{
"effective_date": "2026-07-01",
"fuel_grade": "95_ULP",
"zone_code": "9C_INLAND",
"bfp_total_cl": 1185.40,
"taxes_and_levies_cl": 1120.50,
"retail_pump_price_rl": 23.05
}
Data Integration Enquiries: Need structured fuel price feeds, automated historical datasets, or customized integration support? Contact our Data Engineering Team to request access details.
Frequently asked questions
What should users expect from the what is Basic Fuel Price page?
This page provides a plain-English explanation of the BFP formula, shows how international import parity impacts South African retail fuel prices, and provides structured dataset summaries for analysts and business users.
Which sources should the page reference?
All price calculations and regulatory figures reference official price schedules published by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), daily recovery reports from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), and official announcements on Gov.za.
Who is this page for?
This guide is designed for developers, financial analysts, fleet operations managers, publishers, and everyday South African motorists looking for transparent, unvarnished insight into how fuel prices are calculated.
What is the next action?
To plan for upcoming price adjustments, check our petrol price next month forecast hub, or use our calculate fuel costcalculator to run journey estimates.