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.
Petrol 95 inland cost R10.61 per litre in January 2012 and costs R30.25 in October 2026, almost three times as much. Adjusted for inflation the increase is far smaller.
Petrol Price Over Time South Africa overview
The path has not been steady. Prices fell in 2015 and 2020, surged in 2022 and again in 2026.
Milestones
- First month at or above R15 per litre: June 2018
- First month at or above R20 per litre: December 2021
- First month at or above R25 per litre: July 2022
- First month at or above R30 per litre: October 2026
Petrol 95 by year
| Year | Average | Lowest | Highest | Change in average |
| 2012 | R11.56 | R10.61 (Jan) | R12.22 (May) | |
| 2013 | R12.92 | R11.86 (Jan) | R13.55 (Aug) | +11.7% |
| 2014 | R13.84 | R12.47 (Dec) | R14.39 (Apr) | +7.1% |
| 2015 | R12.41 | R10.31 (Feb) | R13.77 (Jul) | -10.3% |
| 2016 | R12.63 | R11.74 (Mar) | R13.34 (Jul) | +1.7% |
| 2017 | R13.63 | R12.86 (Jul) | R14.76 (Dec) | +8.0% |
| 2018 | R15.42 | R13.76 (Mar) | R17.08 (Oct) | +13.1% |
| 2019 | R15.73 | R14.01 (Jan) | R16.76 (Jun) | +2.0% |
| 2020 | R14.75 | R12.22 (May) | R16.16 (Jan) | -6.3% |
| 2021 | R17.56 | R14.86 (Jan) | R20.29 (Dec) | +19.1% |
| 2022 | R22.80 | R19.61 (Jan) | R26.74 (Jul) | +29.8% |
| 2023 | R23.14 | R21.40 (Jan) | R25.68 (Oct) | +1.5% |
| 2024 | R23.12 | R21.05 (Oct) | R25.49 (May) | -0.1% |
| 2025 | R21.66 | R21.12 (Nov) | R22.41 (Feb) | -6.3% |
| 2026 (to October) | R24.80 | R20.10 (Feb) | R30.25 (Oct) | +14.5% |
Long-term trend and key turning points
- 2014 to 2016: the international oil price crash pulled prices down to the lowest point in this record, R10.31 in February 2015.
- 2020: lockdowns collapsed fuel demand worldwide and the price fell to R12.22 in May 2020.
- 2022: prices surged after Russia invaded Ukraine, peaking at R26.74 in July 2022.
- 2024 to early 2026: prices eased, reaching R20.10 in February 2026.
- 2026: a run of steep increases from April took the price to a record R30.25 in October 2026, as international oil and product prices climbed.
Nominal and real prices
In today’s money, the 2012 average of R11.56 per litre is worth about R22.94, so the real increase since 2012 is much smaller than the headline figure suggests. The October 2026 price of R30.25 is nonetheless well above every earlier year in real terms.
Source and coverage: Prices are the official monthly figures published for the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, as tabulated by the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa. This page covers January 2012 to October 2026. Petrol figures are regulated pump prices; diesel and paraffin figures are wholesale prices, so pump prices for diesel vary by station.
Related history and forecast pages
- Petrol price today
- Petrol price history South Africa
- Diesel price history South Africa
- Petrol price history chart
- Fuel price updates archive
- Petrol price prediction
Frequently asked questions
How much has petrol gone up since 2012?
By R19.64 per litre for Petrol 95 inland, from R10.61 to R30.25.
When did petrol first pass R20 a litre?
December 2021, for Petrol 95 inland.
Where do these figures come from?
From the official monthly price announcements made for the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, as tabulated by the Fuels Industry Association of South Africa. This page covers January 2012 onwards.