Fuel Price Trends South Africa

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.

South African fuel prices are at record levels in October 2026. Petrol 95 inland is R30.25 per litre, up R9.95 since March, and wholesale diesel 500ppm is R31.95, up R13.42 over the same seven months.

Fuel Price Trends South Africa: current price

FuelInland (Gauteng)CoastalChange on 7 October 2026
Petrol 95 ULPR30.25R29.38Up R3.33
Petrol 93 ULPR29.88R29.01Up R3.12
Diesel 50ppm (wholesale)R32.80R31.93Up R3.24
Diesel 500ppm (wholesale)R31.95R31.08Up R2.84
Illuminating paraffin (wholesale)R24.47R23.42Up R3.58

Latest petrol and fuel price table

The last 13 official adjustments for the main inland benchmarks.

Effective datePetrol 95Diesel 500ppm (wholesale)Paraffin (wholesale)
7 October 2026R30.25R31.95R24.47
2 September 2026R26.92R29.11R20.89
5 August 2026R25.58R26.17R18.76
1 July 2026R26.10R24.79R17.24
3 June 2026R28.06R27.93R22.47
6 May 2026R26.63R31.18R28.43
1 April 2026R23.36R25.91R24.21
4 March 2026R20.30R18.54R12.54
4 February 2026R20.10R17.92R12.10
1 January 2026R20.75R18.42R12.63
3 December 2025R21.41R19.79R13.73
3 November 2025R21.12R19.13R12.99
1 October 2025R21.63R19.34R13.00

Price change from the previous month

October brought the second large increase in a row. Petrol 95 rose by R3.33 per litre and petrol 93 by R3.12, wholesale diesel by R2.84 to R3.24, and paraffin by R3.58. The Department attributes the move to a rise in the average Brent crude price from about $88 to $101 per barrel, with the Rand almost unchanged.

The longer trend

YearPetrol 95 averageDiesel 500ppm averageParaffin average
2012R11.56R10.75R8.08
2013R12.92R11.99R9.17
2014R13.84R12.70R9.76
2015R12.41R10.77R7.23
2016R12.63R10.64R6.73
2017R13.63R11.74R7.42
2018R15.42R13.95R9.14
2019R15.73R14.40R9.21
2020R14.75R12.93R7.06
2021R17.56R15.14R9.25
2022R22.80R22.35R16.22
2023R23.14R21.52R15.77
2024R23.12R20.58R14.79
2025R21.66R19.47R13.33
2026 (to October)R24.80R25.19R19.37

Inland vs coastal prices

Coastal prices move in step with inland prices but sit lower: 87 cents per litre lower for petrol and 87.2 cents for diesel. The trend is therefore the same wherever you fill up.

Petrol grades, diesel and related fuels

Diesel and paraffin have been more volatile than petrol in 2026. Between March and May 2026 wholesale diesel 500ppm rose by R12.64 per litre while petrol 95 rose by R6.33. Diesel then fell sharply in June and July before climbing again.

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.

How to use this price information

Trends are useful for budgeting, not for timing a fill-up to the day. To see what a change means for your own costs, use the fuel cost calculator.

Related tools and updates

Frequently asked questions

Are fuel prices going up or down?

Up. October 2026 was the second consecutive monthly increase for petrol and the third for diesel.

Is this the highest fuel has ever been?

It is the highest in this record, which starts in January 2012.

How often does the price change?

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.