Fill up wisely: South African petrol and diesel prices are set to drop from Wednesday, 4 November, thanks to temporary fuel levy cuts announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana at the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement on 21 October.
Based on the latest Central Energy Fund projections, 93 unleaded petrol could fall by as much as 93 cents a litre, with 95 unleaded down around 50 cents. Diesel drivers get the bigger win: 500ppm diesel is projected to drop R1.58 a litre and 50ppm diesel R1.68. If confirmed, expect to pay roughly R29.83 per litre for 95 petrol inland and R28.96 at the coast, with 93 petrol inland around R29.46. Diesel wholesale prices should land between about R29.50 and R31.12 depending on grade and location.
The relief comes via a cut to the General Fuel Levy — R1.50 per litre for petrol and R3 for diesel — running from 4 November to 1 December 2026. After that, the discount tapers: R1 per litre on petrol and R1.50 on diesel from 2 December until 5 January 2027. The whole package is worth about R10 billion and is meant to take some pressure off households and businesses.
There's context worth knowing, though. Prices spiked hard earlier in 2026, driven by higher international oil prices, supply worries tied to conflict in the Middle East, and a weaker rand. So while November's cuts are welcome, they only trim back some of this year's increases rather than resetting prices to where they were. The final numbers also need sign-off from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, and the Slate Levy can shift the outcome slightly.
For anyone planning a South African road trip — the Garden Route, a Kruger self-drive, the Cape Winelands — the takeaway is simple: December into early January still carries partial relief, so long drives remain somewhat cheaper than they would have been otherwise. Just budget with current pump prices rather than old ones, and note that inland prices (Gauteng) run higher than coastal ones because of transport costs. Fill up in coastal towns where you can.
