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.
Official Price Notice: Wholesale diesel prices in South Africa are regulated monthly by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) based on Central Energy Fund (CEF) calculations. As of the official monthly adjustment effective 7 October 2026:
- Inland Wholesale (50ppm): 2 517.17 c/l (R32.80 / litre)
- Coastal Wholesale (50ppm): 2 441.00 c/l (R31.93 / litre)
- Inland Wholesale (500ppm): 2 478.77 c/l (R31.95 / litre)
- Coastal Wholesale (500ppm): 2 391.57 c/l (R31.08 / litre)
Note: Retail diesel pump prices are unregulated in South Africa; filling station markup varies by location and service station. The official figures above serve as the regulated wholesale list benchmark.
To contextualise these prices within the broader petroleum market, view our overarching fuel price history South Africahub.
Diesel Price History South Africa overview
Understanding diesel price history South Africa is critical for fleet managers, logistics operators, financial analysts, and commercial software developers. Unlike retail petrol—which has a strict maximum price set by the government—diesel operates under a wholesale price control framework. Retail service stations set their own margins, making official wholesale historical datasets the definitive benchmark for enterprise auditing, contract indexing, and cost forecasting.
Historical fuel data allows commercial operators to track structural price shifts driven by global crude markets, foreign exchange movements, government levies, and international refined product prices.
Date range
Our historical archive covers structured monthly pricing adjustments from January 2002 to present, supplemented by long-term annual archives dating back several decades. Data points are updated immediately upon the gazetting of monthly price decisions by the government.
Products covered
The historical dataset isolates the two primary diesel grades distributed across South African wholesale grid zones:
- Diesel 50ppm (0.005% Sulphur): Low-sulphur automotive diesel required by modern Euro-standard engines and light commercial vehicles.
- Diesel 500ppm (0.05% Sulphur): Higher sulphur fuel standard widely utilized in heavy industrial, agricultural, and mining equipment.
What the dataset includes
Our structured fuel pricing archives provide granular historical records categorized by magisterial fuel pricing zones (Inland vs. Coastal).
Source methodology
Data reliability depends on continuous verification against official government price publications. Our hierarchy follows a strict verification pipeline:
- Primary Authority: Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) monthly gazetted fuel schedules.
- Indicator Source: Central Energy Fund (CEF) daily Basic Fuel Price (BFP) and over-/under-recovery reports.
- Official Announcements: Republic of South Africa government media releases for confirmed policy or tax levy adjustments.
Download formats and field definitions
Below are the confirmed data fields provided across historical datasets:
| Field Name | Data Type | Unit / Format | Description |
effective_date | String | YYYY-MM-DD | Date the price adjustment took effect (first Wednesday of month). |
fuel_grade | String | Text | diesel_50ppm or diesel_500ppm. |
zone_type | String | Text | inland (Zone 09C) or coastal (Zone 01A). |
wholesale_cents | Numeric | c/l | Official gazetted wholesale list price in cents per litre. |
wholesale_rand | Numeric | R/l | Converted price in Rands per litre. |
monthly_change | Numeric | c/l | Difference from previous month (+ / – adjustment). |
bfp_element | Numeric | c/l | Basic Fuel Price portion of total price structure. |
Historical coverage and update frequency
South African fuel prices are adjusted on the first Wednesday of every calendar month. However, keeping track of history requires understanding two distinct data layers:
- Daily Over-/Under-Recovery Indicators: The Central Energy Fund (CEF) publishes daily estimates comparing current wholesale prices against global product price shifts and the USD/ZAR exchange rate. These daily shifts inform our diesel price next month market commentary.
- Official Monthly Adjustments: The DMPR officially gazettes binding wholesale list prices at the start of each month.
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| CEF Daily Tracking |
| Monitors USD/ZAR Exchange Rate & International Oil Prices |
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| Monthly DMPR Gazette (Official) |
| Published First Wednesday of Month (Inland & Coastal) |
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| PetrolPrice.co.za Historical Dataset |
| Available via API, Spreadsheet Export & Dynamic Tables |
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Historical tracking highlights significant market events. Analysts examining major market volatility can review historical extremes on our dedicated analysis pages, such as the biggest diesel price increase South Africa record list or the overall peak records on the highest diesel price South Africa page.
How to use the data
Different commercial users apply historical diesel data to solve specific operational challenges:
- Fleet & Transport Accounting: Logistics teams cross-examine historical fill-up logs against benchmark list prices. Use our diesel fuel cost calculator or general tool to calculate fuel cost variations over specific historical transport routes.
- Trend & Volatility Analysis: Commercial analysts evaluate fuel inflation trends using our diesel price trends South Africa documentation and monitor monthly percentage shifts via diesel price change South Africa.
Related guide: Last Month Diesel Price South Africa.
Related history and forecast pages
Navigate directly to specific child datasets and specialized history tools:
Related history tables
- 50ppm Diesel Historical Tables: Access dedicated low-sulphur historical tables on the diesel 50ppm price history page.
- 500ppm Diesel Historical Tables: Review standard high-sulphur wholesale records on the diesel 500ppm price history page.
- Per-Litre Commercial Breakdown: Compare current and historical benchmark rates on the diesel price per litre South Africa hub page.
Frequently asked questions
What should users expect from the diesel price history South Africa page?
PetrolPrice.co.za does not currently offer an API or file downloads. The data is published as tables on the site, free to read and copy; use the contact page to enquire about anything else.
Which sources should the page reference?
Primary price data must always be sourced from official Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) price schedules. Daily trend indicators refer to Central Energy Fund (CEF) over-/under-recovery reports.
Who is this page for?
This resource serves fleet managers, transport operators, financial analysts, commercial software developers, and researchers who require accurate, structured South African fuel price history for auditing, software integration, or economic modeling.
What is the next action?
PetrolPrice.co.za does not currently offer an API or file downloads. The data is published as tables on the site, free to read and copy; use the contact page to enquire about anything else.
Data access
PetrolPrice.co.za publishes official fuel prices as tables on its pages, free to read and copy. It does not currently offer a public API, data feeds or downloadable files. See fuel price data South Africa for what is available, or use the contact page to enquire.