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.
Managing a monthly transport budget in South Africa requires clear data. Whether you are a daily commuter navigating the N1, a small business managing local deliveries, or a logistics fleet manager, knowing exactly how much fuel your vehicle consumes is the first step toward optimization.
Below is the interactive tool to calculate your vehicle’s efficiency before breaking down the exact formulas and current fuel price factors.
Interactive Fuel Calculator
- Step 1: Select Fuel Type:
[ Petrol 95 | Petrol 93 | Diesel 50ppm | Diesel 500ppm ]- Step 2: Select Region:
[ Inland | Coastal ]- Step 3: Distance Travelled (km):
[ Enter kilometres, e.g., 500 ]- Step 4: Fuel Used (Litres):
[ Enter litres filled, e.g., 45 ]- Current Fuel Price Default: Automatically pulled from latest DMRE official data:
[RXX.XX / Litre]
[ Calculate Fuel Consumption ]Estimated Results:
- Your Fuel Consumption: XX.XX L/100km
- Estimated Cost per Kilometre: R X.XX / km
- Total Trip Cost: R XXX.XX
- Assumption Note: Calculator results are estimates based on user inputs and driving conditions. Official retail and wholesale prices apply at the pump.
Fuel Consumption Formula: current price
To calculate how much fuel your vehicle uses, the standard metric used in South Africa is Litres per 100 Kilometres (L/100km).
The primary mathematical formula to determine your fuel consumption is:
$$\text{Fuel Consumption (L/100km)} = \left( \frac{\text{Litres Used}}{\text{Distance Travelled (km)}} \right) \times 100$$
Worked Example:
If you fill your tank with 45 litres of fuel and travel 600 kilometres before your next fill-up, the calculation is:
$$\left( \frac{45}{600} \right) \times 100 = 7.5 \text{ L/100km}$$
To translate this consumption into actual monetary spend using the current retail price, use the Cost per Kilometre (R/km) formula:
$$\text{Cost per Kilometre (R/km)} = \frac{\text{Fuel Consumption (L/100km)} \times \text{Current Fuel Price per Litre}}{100}$$
Important Context: Fuel prices vary significantly by region (Inland vs. Coastal) and fuel grade. To get an accurate cost result, you must apply the exact price per litre relevant to your location and vehicle type.
Latest petrol and fuel price table
The official fuel price in South Africa is regulated and revised on the first Wednesday of every month by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).
The table below reflects the current official retail prices for petrol and wholesale guidelines for diesel, effective September 2026.
| Fuel Grade / Type | Inland Price (c/l) | Inland Price (R/l) | Coastal Price (c/l) | Coastal Price (R/l) |
| Petrol 95 Unleaded | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] |
| Petrol 93 Unleaded | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] |
| Diesel 50ppm (Wholesale) | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] |
| Diesel 500ppm (Wholesale) | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] | [XXXX] c/l | R[XX.XX] |
Price change from the previous month
Fuel budgets are directly affected by monthly pricing shifts. The adjustment for the current month reflects changes in global oil markets and the performance of the South African Rand (ZAR) against the US Dollar (USD).
- Petrol 95 & 93:
[Increased / Decreased]by[XX] c/lrelative to the previous month’s schedule. - Diesel 50ppm & 500ppm:
[Increased / Decreased]by[XX] c/lrelative to the previous month’s schedule.
Official adjustments are finalized using the dynamic Basic Fuel Price (BFP) structures dictated by international product costs and shipping premiums.
Inland vs coastal prices
You will notice that fuel prices are consistently lower at coastal regions than inland. This pricing gap is exclusively driven by the cost of inland transport logistics.
When crude oil or refined fuel arrives at South African ports (such as Durban), it must be transported inland via pipelines, rail, and road tankers to major economic hubs like Gauteng. The DMRE builds these transport tariffs directly into the regulated zone structures.
- Coastal Prices: Apply to areas close to major ports.
- Inland Prices: Incorporate the additional cost-recovery mechanisms required to move the fuel hundreds of kilometres inland.
When utilizing a fuel consumption calculator to forecast long-haul trips, ensure you switch your pricing inputs based on your departure point and destination zone.
Petrol grades, diesel and related fuels
Different engines demand specific fuel types, which alters the baseline cost structure of your calculation:
Petrol Grades (93 vs 95 Octane)
Octane ratings measure the fuel’s resistance to premature ignition (knocking).
- 93 Octane: Typically used in older engines or vehicles operating at higher altitudes (Inland), where lower atmospheric pressure reduces the octane requirement.
- 95 Octane: Mandatory for most modern turbocharged or high-compression engines to ensure optimal efficiency and protect engine components.
Diesel Grades (50ppm vs 500ppm)
Unlike petrol, diesel prices are not fixed at a retail level; the DMRE sets a maximum wholesale price, meaning individual filling stations can set their own retail margins.
- 50ppm (0.005% Sulphur): A cleaner, low-sulphur fuel demanded by modern common-rail diesel engines to protect advanced exhaust filtration and injection systems.
- 500ppm (0.05% Sulphur): Contains higher sulphur levels, generally suitable for older agricultural machinery, heavy commercial trucks, or older utility fleets.
How to use this price information
Knowing the formula and the current cost per litre allows you to calculate actual operational expenses. Here is how to apply this to real-world scenarios:
- Log Your Baselines: Keep a logbook or digital receipt of your exact distance travelled between fills and the total litres added.
- Determine Your Actual Cost: Take the current official price from our Latest petrol and fuel price table and use it alongside your vehicle’s L/100km performance to isolate variable trip costs.
- Evaluate Routes and Behavior: If a routine route costs significantly more than your theoretical calculation suggests, look at variable factors such as heavy traffic congestion, payload weight, tyre pressure, or aggressive driving habits.
Related tools and updates
To accurately calculate fuel cost ahead of monthly changes, motorists should watch the daily data provided by the Central Energy Fund (CEF). The CEF publishes daily over- or under-recovery indicators based on:
- The volatile ZAR/USD exchange rate.
- International Brent Crude oil market prices.
- The cumulative slate balance.
These indicators provide insights into whether prices are tracking toward a potential increase or decrease. However, official adjustments are only confirmed when finalized announcements are issued directly by the DMRE at the end of the month. To play out different financial scenarios, explore our broader suite of fuel calculators South Africa.
Frequently asked questions
What inputs does the fuel consumption formula need?
To find your efficiency, you need the exact distance travelled (in kilometres) and the total litres of fuel consumed over that distance. To find your total cost, you also need the current fuel price per litre (R/l) according to your specific fuel type and geographic zone.
Are calculator results exact?
No. Calculator results serve as close estimates. Real-world fuel consumption shifts constantly based on driving style, traffic conditions, vehicle maintenance, wind resistance, and payload.
Should inland and coastal prices be included?
Yes. Because inland prices incorporate additional transport costs, using the wrong regional pricing baseline will distort your trip cost calculations. Always check whether your route sits primarily within an inland or coastal zone.
How can users reduce fuel costs?
Beyond driving efficiently (smooth acceleration, maintaining optimal tyre pressure, and reducing excess weight), you can reduce long-term spend by choosing the correct fuel grade recommended by your manufacturer and planning travel routes using dedicated calculator tools to minimize unnecessary idling time.