What petrol and diesel will cost in October 2026
**South African fuel prices are expected to rise sharply on Wednesday 7 October 2026. Unaudited mid-month data points to petrol 95 climbing about R2.29 a litre and diesel about R2.22. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirms the official figure a few days beforehand.**
South African motorists face one of the steepest monthly fuel increases on record when prices change on Wednesday 7 October 2026, with unaudited mid-month data pointing to a rise of more than R2 a litre across every grade.
These are projections, not the official price. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources publishes the confirmed figure shortly before the change takes effect.
Expected change, and projected inland price:
- Petrol 93 ÔÇö up about R2.17, to roughly R28.93
- Petrol 95 ÔÇö up about R2.29, to roughly R29.21
- Diesel 500ppm ÔÇö up about R1.87, to roughly R30.98
- Diesel 50ppm ÔÇö up about R2.22, to roughly R32.27
At those levels petrol 95 would come within a few cents of R29.21 inland, and diesel would pass R32 ÔÇö territory South African drivers have not seen before.
What is driving it
Two forces, and they are pushing the same way. Brent crude has climbed to around $103 a barrel, a level last seen in May, on the back of the conflict in the Middle East and the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time the cost of shipping imported fuel to South African ports has kept rising.
Because South Africa imports refined fuel and pays for it in dollars, the rand matters as much as the oil price. A weaker rand raises the landed cost of every litre even when the barrel price holds steady.
How the price is actually set
The pump price is not set by the oil companies. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources calculates it monthly from the Basic Fuel Price ÔÇö what it costs to land refined fuel at a South African port ÔÇö plus fixed levies including the general fuel levy and the Road Accident Fund levy, and a regulated margin for wholesalers and retailers.
The department samples daily data through the month and publishes the official figure shortly before the change, which always takes effect on the first Wednesday. Mid-month projections are a reliable direction of travel but not the final number, and late movements in the rand or the oil price can shift the outcome by a few cents either way.
Why this one stings
An increase of this size lands on more than the tank. Diesel sets the cost of moving goods, so a R2.22 rise feeds into food prices within weeks, and minibus taxi fares typically follow within a month or two. Households that do not own a car still pay for it.
What drivers can do
Filling up before midnight on Tuesday 6 October saves roughly R115 on a 50-litre tank of 95 at the projected increase. Beyond that the levers are the ordinary ones: tyre pressure, removing roof racks and roof boxes, and easing off on the highway, where consumption climbs steeply above 120km/h.
Inland prices run higher than coastal ones because of the cost of moving fuel from the ports to Gauteng, so the figures above are the inland numbers.
Common questions
When does the fuel price change in October 2026?
Wednesday 7 October, the first Wednesday of the month.
Are these the final prices?
No. They are projections from unaudited mid-month data. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirms the official figure days before the change.
Who sets the petrol price in South Africa?
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, monthly, from the Basic Fuel Price plus fixed levies and a regulated retail margin.
