South Africa’s new petrol prices for April 2026 are officially out, and motorists are still facing a steep increase at the pumps from Wednesday, 1 April. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources said both grades of petrol will rise by R3.06 per litre, even after government introduced a temporary R3-per-litre reduction in the general fuel levy to cushion the blow.
That makes this one of the sharpest monthly fuel adjustments in recent memory. Government says the spike was driven by a surge in Brent crude oil prices, higher international petroleum product prices, a weaker rand and higher shipping costs linked to the US-Iran conflict and disruption risk around the Strait of Hormuz.
The next step for households and businesses is immediate. The new price takes effect on 1 April 2026, while the temporary R3 fuel-levy relief runs only until 5 May 2026. Government has also said the relief will be re-evaluated monthly for the following two months, meaning the May and June price outlook will depend not only on oil and currency markets, but also on whether Treasury extends any further support.
What we know so far
The official April fuel-price statement from the DMPR says petrol 93 and petrol 95 will both increase by R3.06 per litre from 1 April 2026. Diesel rises even more sharply, with the 0.05% sulphur grade up by R7.37 per litre and the 0.005% sulphur grade up by R7.51 per litre. Illuminating paraffin and LPG prices are also increasing.
The biggest reason the increase is not even higher is the one-month tax relief announced jointly by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe on 31 March. In that statement, government said the general fuel levy would be cut by R3 per litre from 1 April to 5 May 2026, reducing the levy on petrol from R4.10 per litre to R1.10 and on diesel from R3.93 to R0.93 for that period.
The DMPR’s April statement also explains what pushed prices up so sharply. It says the average Brent crude oil price increased from $69.08 to $93.67 during the review period. It further says international product prices added R5.26 per litre to the basic fuel price of petrol, while rand depreciation from R16.00 to R16.64 to the US dollar added another 56.18 cents per litre to petrol.
There is one more important technical point. The department said annual adjustments to transport tariffs and the quarterly petrol octane differential are also being implemented from 1 April 2026. Because of that, exact retail prices can differ across South Africa’s 54 magisterial district pricing zones. So while the national headline increase for petrol is R3.06 a litre, final pump prices will still vary slightly by location.
Why it matters
Fuel prices in South Africa do not affect only motorists. They feed directly into food distribution, delivery costs, school transport, commuting, freight charges and business operating costs. A jump of more than R3 a litre on petrol therefore lands far beyond the forecourt. It quickly becomes a broader cost-of-living issue.
The April increase also arrives at a time when households were already under pressure. That is why government described the levy cut as a short-term relief measure aimed at cushioning food and transport inflation and supporting households and key economic sectors. Treasury said the temporary intervention would cost about R6 billion in foregone tax revenue for the month, but added that the measure is intended to be fiscally neutral over time.
For motorists, the key takeaway is that the levy cut helped, but it did not prevent a sharp price jump. Reuters reported on 31 March that without the temporary tax relief, fuel prices would have been even higher. The official government statements confirm the same basic picture: the state has softened the blow, not removed it.
This also matters because the April increase may not be the end of the story. Government said the levy relief will be reviewed monthly for the following two months, and the DMPR said the US-Iran conflict has materially affected global fuel prices. That leaves South Africa exposed to more volatility if crude prices remain elevated or the rand weakens further.
Key details and figures
Here are the headline April 2026 fuel-price changes officially announced by the DMPR:
| Fuel type | April 2026 change |
|---|---|
| Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP) | +R3.06/l |
| Petrol 95 (ULP & LRP) | +R3.06/l |
| Diesel 0.05% sulphur | +R7.37/l |
| Diesel 0.005% sulphur | +R7.51/l |
These increases take effect from 1 April 2026.
Petrol price table
Using the official March 2026 petrol benchmark prices published by the DMPR and adding the official April increase of R3.06 per litre, the benchmark new retail petrol prices are as follows. This is a calculation based on the official March regional prices and the announced April increase. Final zone-specific prices may differ slightly because the department says April transport-tariff revisions affect the 54 magisterial district pricing zones.
| Region | Petrol 93 | Petrol 95 |
|---|---|---|
| Inland benchmark | R23.25/l | R23.36/l |
| Coastal benchmark | R22.42/l | R22.53/l |
The calculation is based on these March benchmark prices published by the DMPR: inland petrol 93 at R20.19/l, inland petrol 95 at R20.30/l, coastal petrol 93 at R19.36/l and coastal petrol 95 at R19.47/l, plus the official April increase of R3.06/l for both grades.
Other important figures in the official April statement include:
- Brent crude rose from $69.08 to $93.67 during the review period.
- International product prices added R5.26/l to petrol’s basic fuel price.
- Rand weakness added 56.18 c/l to petrol.
- The temporary fuel-levy cut lowers the general fuel levy on petrol from R4.10/l to R1.10/l until 5 May 2026.
What happens next
The immediate next development is implementation from Wednesday, 1 April 2026. Motorists will begin paying the new regulated price from midnight, while businesses dependent on road transport will start recalculating fuel costs almost immediately.
The second issue is what happens in May. Government has said the temporary levy reduction will be re-evaluated monthly for the following two months. That means South Africa may still see additional relief in May and June, but that is not guaranteed. The ministers’ joint statement says the measure is temporary and part of a broader response package still being developed.
The third issue is volatility in the international market. As long as the conflict-related pressure on oil and shipping remains in place, South Africa remains vulnerable to further price swings. The official April statement makes clear that the international component, rather than domestic policy alone, is driving most of the increase.
For now, the clearest picture is this: South Africa’s April petrol price has officially increased by R3.06 a litre, but the final retail number motorists pay still depends slightly on where they live. The benchmark new price is about R23.25 a litre for inland 93 and R23.36 for inland 95, while coastal benchmarks are about R22.42 and R22.53 respectively. Without the temporary R3 fuel-levy cut, the shock would have been significantly worse.
