South Africans will pay significantly more for fuel from Wednesday after the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announced steep increases across all fuel types.
Minister Gwede Mantashe announced the October 2026 fuel price adjustment on Monday, with the changes taking effect on 7 October 2026.
Petrol 93 will increase by R3.12 per litre, while petrol 95 will go up by R3.33 per litre. Diesel with 0.05% sulphur will rise by R2.84 per litre, and diesel with 0.005% sulphur will climb by R3.24 per litre.
Illuminating paraffin will see a wholesale increase of R3.58 per litre and a retail price jump of R4.77 per litre. LPGas will cost 42 cents more per kilogram, with Western Cape users facing a 48-cent increase.
The department said average Brent crude oil prices surged from $87.89 to $101 during the review period. This sharp increase stems from ongoing US-Iran tensions and uncertainty about oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 25% of global seaborne oil trade.
Shipping costs have reached extraordinary levels, with very large crude carrier tanker rates climbing from around $30 000 per day in early January 2026 to approximately $1.3 million per day by late September. This 43-fold increase adds about $33 per barrel to delivered crude costs.
Repeated attacks on commercial tankers in Gulf waters have forced longer, more expensive shipping routes. The International Maritime Organisation reported at least 70 verified attacks on international shipping by late August 2026, with 19 seafarers killed.
Supply shortages caused by lower global inventories have pushed up international prices for petrol, diesel and illuminating paraffin. These factors raised the basic fuel prices by 329.07 cents per litre for petrol, 280.17 cents per litre for diesel, and 357.23 cents per litre for illuminating paraffin.
The rand strengthened slightly against the US dollar during the period, lowering basic fuel price contributions by 0.17 cents per litre for petrol, 0.22 cents per litre for diesel, and 0.21 cents per litre for illuminating paraffin. However, this minimal offset does little to ease the burden on consumers.
The department said propane and butane prices also increased due to supply uncertainties.
In the seven months since the US-Iran conflict began in March, fuel prices have skyrocketed by an average of 62%. Diesel has been hit particularly hard, with the cleaner 0.005% sulphur diesel jumping by nearly 80% (almost R15 per litre).
