South Africans face major fuel price hikes from Wednesday

South African motorists face a significant increase at the pumps from Wednesday, 2 September 2026, with petrol rising by R1.34 per litre and some diesel prices climbing by more than R3 per litre.

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) has announced increases across all fuel categories for September.

Both grades of petrol will increase by R1.34 per litre, while diesel will record substantially larger increases.

Diesel with 0.05% sulphur will rise by R2.93 per litre, while 0.005% sulphur diesel will increase by R3.14 per litre.

September fuel price increases

The official adjustments taking effect on Wednesday are:

• Petrol 93 unleaded: Increase of R1.34 per litre
• Petrol 95 unleaded: Increase of R1.34 per litre
• Diesel 0.05% sulphur: Increase of R2.93 per litre
• Diesel 0.005% sulphur: Increase of R3.14 per litre
• Illuminating paraffin wholesale: Increase of R2.13 per litre
• LPGas retail: Increase of R0.69 per kilogram

The increases have been driven largely by higher international oil and product prices, while a stronger rand provided some relief during the review period.

Brent crude price rises

The average Brent crude oil price increased from $82.37 to $87.88 per barrel during the period under review.

The increase came amid tensions in the Middle East, shipping uncertainty through the Strait of Hormuz and low global inventories.

International product price increases contributed to the higher local fuel prices despite some support from the rand.

The South African currency strengthened from an average of R16.46 to R16.21 against the US dollar during the review period.

The stronger exchange rate was not enough to offset the effect of higher international prices.

Slate Levy increases

Another factor affecting September’s fuel prices is an increase in the Slate Levy.

The cumulative slate balance for petrol and diesel stood at a negative R9.519 billion at the end of July 2026.

The Slate Levy has consequently increased by 21.90 cents per litre, from 61.38 cents per litre to 83.28 cents per litre, to recover the deficit.

A further 4.9 cents per litre has been added to the petrol price structure to accommodate the multi-year wage agreement for forecourt employees.

The combined adjustments mean motorists will pay substantially more for fuel from Wednesday, with diesel users facing the steepest increases of the month.

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