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.
South Africa Petrol Price Spreadsheet: Historical Fuel Price Data & Analysis
Quick Answer
The South Africa Petrol Price Spreadsheet is a historical dataset tracking official monthly fuel price changes across South Africa, regulated by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and calculated alongside the Central Energy Fund (CEF). Available in downloadable Excel (.xlsx) and CSV formats, the spreadsheet provides a complete record of retail petrol prices (93 ULP and 95 ULP), wholesale diesel prices (50ppm and 500ppm), illuminating paraffin, and LPG. It breaks down cost structures into the Basic Fuel Price (BFP), international oil benchmarks, USD/ZAR exchange rates, and statutory taxes such as the General Fuel Levy and Road Accident Fund (RAF) Levy for both Inland (Gauteng) and Coastal zones.
What is the South Africa Petrol Price Spreadsheet?
Fuel costs represent one of the largest operational and personal expenses in South Africa. The Petrol Price Spreadsheetconsolidates monthly pricing data issued by the South African government into a structured tabular format designed for analysis, reporting, and financial modeling.
Instead of hunting through archived monthly media statements or PDF releases from the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), the spreadsheet organizes years of pricing data into row-and-column formats compatible with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and custom data pipelines.
Key Fuel Types Tracked
- 93 Unleaded Petrol (93 ULP): Regulated retail price, predominantly used inland for naturally aspirated engines.
- 95 Unleaded Petrol (95 ULP): Regulated retail price, standard along the coast and widely used for modern turbocharged vehicles nationwide.
- Diesel 50ppm (0.005% Sulfur): Gazette wholesale price for low-sulfur premium diesel.
- Diesel 500ppm (0.05% Sulfur): Gazette wholesale price for standard sulfur diesel.
- Illuminating Paraffin: Maximum National Retail Price (SMNRP) and wholesale price records for household energy modeling.
- Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG): Maximum retail pricing per kilogram across geographic zones.
Understanding the South African Fuel Pricing Structure
To effectively analyze the petrol price spreadsheet, it helps to understand how the final price per liter at the pump is determined on the first Wednesday of every month.
The total price consists of two main categories: the Basic Fuel Price (BFP) and Domestic Levies & Margins.
Final Pump Price = Basic Fuel Price (BFP) + Levies & Taxes + Retail/Wholesale Margins + Transport Costs
1. Basic Fuel Price (BFP)
The BFP represents the realistic cost of importing refined petroleum products into South Africa from international refineries. It is influenced by two main external factors:
- International Product Prices: Global prices for refined petrol and diesel (linked directly to Brent Crude oil spot prices and international refinery margins).
- USD/ZAR Exchange Rate: Because petroleum products are traded in US Dollars, any weakening or strengthening of the South African Rand against the Dollar impacts the landed cost in Rands.
2. Statutory Levies and Taxes
A significant portion of the retail price at the pump goes directly to government revenues and funds:
- General Fuel Levy (GFL): A tax collected by the South African Revenue Service (SARS) used for general government revenue.
- Road Accident Fund (RAF) Levy: A ring-fenced levy used to compensate third-party victims of motor vehicle accidents in South Africa.
- Customs & Excise Duties: Indirect tax imposed on fuel.
3. Distribution, Transport, and Regulatory Margins
- Zone Differential (Transport Costs): The cost of transporting fuel from coastal ports (like Durban and Cape Town) via pipelines and rail to inland regions.
- Wholesale & Retail Margins: Fixed regulated margins granted to fuel wholesalers and service station dealers to cover operating costs and profit.
- Slate Levy: An adjustment mechanism used to absorb cumulative under- or over-recoveries caused by daily fluctuations in international oil prices and exchange rates during the preceding month.
Inland vs. Coastal Pricing Breakdown
One of the primary dimensions in the petrol price spreadsheet is geographic location:
| Region | Primary Zone Code | Transport Cost Impact | Retail Price Impact |
| Coastal | Zone 01A (e.g., Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth) | Base level (no pipeline transport from ports needed) | Lower pump price |
| Inland | Zone 09C (e.g., Gauteng, Pretoria, Johannesburg) | Higher (includes pipeline/rail transport tariff) | Higher pump price |
Because refined petrol is imported or processed at coastal refineries, shipping it inland to Gauteng incurs additional transportation tariffs, resulting in inland petrol prices being higher per liter than coastal prices.
Practical Applications for the Spreadsheet Data
Having historical fuel price data in a clean spreadsheet enables powerful business and financial use cases:
- Fleet Management & Logistics Budgeting: Logistics companies can model fuel expenditure trends, perform route profitability calculations, and run scenario planning based on historical volatility.
- Corporate Tax & Expense Auditing: Accounting teams can verify historical claims for business travel reimbursement against exact gazetted rates for any given month in prior years.
- Inflation & Macroeconomic Modeling: Financial analysts track the direct impact of fuel adjustments on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), transport costs, and retail sector inflation.
- Consumer Expense Tracking: Motorists can analyze long-term fuel costs per kilometer to decide on vehicle purchasing options (e.g., petrol vs. diesel vs. hybrid/EV).
Sample Data Overview: Historical Price Trends
The table below illustrates the structure of historical pricing rows captured within the spreadsheet dataset:
| Effective Month | 93 ULP (Inland) | 95 ULP (Inland) | 95 ULP (Coastal) | Diesel 50ppm (Inland) | Diesel 50ppm (Coastal) |
| September 2026 | R26.76 | R26.92 | R26.05 | R29.56 | R28.68 |
| September 2026 | R26.76 | R26.92 | R26.05 | R29.11 | R28.24 |
| August 2026 | R25.42 | R25.58 | R24.71 | R25.30 | R26.17 |
| May 2026 | R26.52 | R26.63 | R25.76 | R31.18 | R30.30 |
| April 2026 | R23.25 | R23.36 | R22.49 | R25.91 | R25.03 |
| March 2026 | R20.19 | R20.30 | R19.47 | R18.53 | R17.70 |
(Note: Figures represent official gazetted rates per liter for illustrative structure).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How often is the South Africa petrol price spreadsheet updated?
The spreadsheet is updated monthly, immediately following the official monthly fuel price adjustment announcement by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE). Price changes officially take effect at 00:01 on the first Wednesday of each calendar month.
2. Where does the data in the spreadsheet originate?
All pricing data is sourced directly from official government records published by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and daily fuel recovery tracking reports generated by the Central Energy Fund (CEF).
3. Why are inland petrol prices higher than coastal prices?
Inland petrol prices include a pipeline and road transport tariff (Zone Differential) to cover the cost of moving refined fuel from coastal ports and refineries to inland hubs like Gauteng, Free State, and North West.
4. Is diesel regulated in the same way as petrol in South Africa?
No. Petrol retail prices are strictly regulated by government law, meaning every filling station in a specific zone must charge the exact same price per liter for petrol. Diesel prices, however, are published as wholesale guidance figures; individual retail service stations are permitted to set their own retail margins and offer competitive discounts.
5. What percentage of the South African petrol price is taxes and levies?
Taxes and statutory levies—principally the General Fuel Levy (GFL) and Road Accident Fund (RAF) Levy—typically account for 30% to 40% of the total price you pay at the pump, depending on prevailing global crude oil prices.
6. Can I open and use the petrol price spreadsheet in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel?
Yes. The spreadsheet files are formatted in standard Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and Comma-Separated Values (.csv) formats, making them fully compatible with Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, Apple Numbers, Python pandas, Power BI, and standard database tools.