Official figures — October 2026. These are the confirmed prices published by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR), effective Wednesday, 7 October 2026. Petrol 93 rose 312 c/l, petrol 95 rose 333 c/l, diesel 500ppm rose 284 c/l, diesel 50ppm rose 324 c/l and illuminating paraffin rose 358 c/l. The previous official prices took effect on 2 September 2026.
The petrol price in the Western Cape depends on which fuel pricing zone you fill up in. At the coast, Petrol 95 costs R29.38 per litre from 7 October 2026; the inland reference price in Gauteng is R30.25 per litre. Cape Town and the coastal towns pay the coastal price or close to it, while Karoo towns such as Beaufort West are in higher-priced zones.
Petrol Price Western Cape: current price
Petrol prices are regulated. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) sets a maximum pump price for each magisterial district zone, and every station in a zone charges the same for petrol. The table shows the two reference prices this site tracks, the coastal price and the Gauteng inland price.
Effective date: Wednesday, 7 October 2026
| Fuel | Coastal reference price | Inland reference price (Gauteng) | Change on 7 October 2026 |
| Petrol 95 ULP | R29.38 | R30.25 | Up R3.33 |
| Petrol 93 ULP | R29.01 | R29.88 | Up R3.12 |
| Diesel 50ppm (wholesale) | R31.93 | R32.80 | Up R3.24 |
| Diesel 500ppm (wholesale) | R31.08 | R31.95 | Up R2.84 |
| Illuminating paraffin (wholesale) | R23.42 | R24.47 | Up R3.58 |
Note: These are reference prices, not a separate official price for the Western Cape. The exact pump price in your town is set by its magisterial district zone and can differ from both columns. Diesel and paraffin figures are wholesale prices; stations add their own margin, so diesel pump prices vary from station to station.
To see what the new prices mean for your own tank, use the fuel cost calculator.
Inland, coastal or local zone context
Most Western Cape drivers live near the coast. Cape Town, the West Coast and the Garden Route are supplied from the sea, so little transport cost is built into the regulated price there.
Head up the N1 into the Karoo and the price rises. Towns such as Laingsburg and Beaufort West are a long haul from any supply point, and their zones are priced above the coastal price to reflect that.
How wide is the range? The Department’s schedule lists 54 pricing zones. In its schedule for 7 October 2026, Petrol 95 ranges from R29.38 per litre in the cheapest coastal zone to R31.23 in the most expensive zone, with Gauteng at R30.25. Inland zones run from roughly 41 cents below the Gauteng price to 98 cents above it.
There is no single provincial price, and no suburb-by-suburb price either. Petrol costs the same at every station within one zone, so there is nothing to gain from shopping around for petrol inside a town. The inland vs coastal fuel prices guide explains how the zones work.
Compare petrol, diesel and other fuels
Petrol 93 and 95. Petrol 95 rose by R3.33 per litre in October and Petrol 93 by R3.12, so the gap between the two grades widened to 37 cents per litre at the inland reference price. Check your vehicle manual before switching to the lower grade.
Diesel. Only the wholesale price of diesel is regulated. It rose by R3.24 per litre for 50ppm and R2.84 for 500ppm, and the inland reference price is about 87 cents per litre above the coastal one for both grades.
Paraffin and LP gas. The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin rose by R3.58 per litre. LP gas is the one fuel where the Western Cape is treated separately. On 7 October 2026 the maximum retail price of LPGas rose by 48 cents per kilogram in the Western Cape, against 42 cents in the rest of the country, and the maximum retail price for gas imported through Saldanha Bay is R37.08 per kilogram.
Why this area differs from other regions
Fuel reaches the province by sea, mainly through Cape Town harbour, with LP gas also landed at Saldanha Bay. Because the supply point is on the doorstep, the coastal zone avoids the inland transport costs that are added for Gauteng and the interior.
The gap between the two reference prices is currently 87 cents per litre for Petrol 95. Everything else in the price is the same nationwide: the basic fuel price, the General Fuel Levy, the Road Accident Fund levy and the regulated margins.
Travel and fill-up decision guidance
On the N1 from Cape Town to Johannesburg the regulated price climbs as you move inland, so the cheapest fill-up of the trip is the one before you leave the Cape. On the N2 along the Garden Route you stay near the coast and prices change very little.
For scale, a 50-litre tank of Petrol 95 costs about R1,469.00 at the coastal reference price and R1,512.50 at the Gauteng price, a difference of R43.50. The October increase matters far more: R3.33 per litre adds R166.50 to that same tank compared with September. The trip fuel cost calculator works out the cost of a specific journey.
Related city, province and calculator pages
- Petrol price Cape Town
- Coastal petrol price
- Coastal fuel price
- Petrol price today
- Petrol price October 2026
- Inland vs coastal fuel prices
- Fuel cost calculator
Frequently asked questions
What affects the petrol price in the Western Cape?
Two things: the national price, which the DMPR adjusts every month for international fuel prices and the Rand, and the pricing zone you are in, which adds the cost of transporting fuel to that area.
Is the price the same across South Africa?
No. Coastal zones pay less than inland zones because less transport cost is included. Within a single zone, though, the petrol price is identical at every station.
When is the price updated?
On the first Wednesday of every month. The current prices took effect on 7 October 2026, and the next adjustment is due on Wednesday, 4 November 2026.
Where should I go next?
See petrol price today for the full national table, or use the fuel cost calculator to budget for the month.