South African motorists face a petrol price increase of approximately R2.09 per litre for 95-octane fuel from Wednesday 6 May 2026, with diesel set to rise by between R4.96 and R4.97 per litre, as the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources prepares to confirm final figures before the midnight price change on Tuesday.
The government has moved to soften the impact through an extension of existing fuel levy relief measures. The R3 per litre reduction in the general fuel levy for petrol has been extended until Tuesday 2 June 2026.
For diesel, the temporary relief has been increased by 93 cents to R3.93 per litre, effectively reducing the diesel levy to zero for the same period, as announced by National Treasury.
Why the May 2026 petrol price is rising
The primary driver is sustained disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, which handles a significant share of global oil supply. The ongoing instability has kept crude prices elevated and placed consistent upward pressure on import-dependent markets such as South Africa.
The projected increase is expected to add approximately 0.6% to monthly inflation, potentially pushing May’s consumer price index to 4.2%, well above the 3.7% figure previously forecast by analysts.
The under-recovery that has accumulated in the regulatory pricing mechanism reflects both the exchange rate weakness of the rand and the elevated international benchmark fuel price.
Analysts have been tracking the trajectory over April, and the forecasts pointing to a roughly R2 per litre increase have remained consistent across the final two weeks of the month.
What the increase means at the pump
At a projected R2.09 per litre increase for 95-octane petrol, a standard 60-litre fill will cost approximately R125 more than it does today.
Diesel users, particularly small business owners and long-distance transporters who are not covered by the government’s levy relief extension, face a steeper exposure before the relief mechanism reduces the effective pump price.
Final confirmed figures from the DMPR are expected to be published on Tuesday 5 May 2026, before the midnight implementation. The current levy relief package is set to run until 2 June 2026, at which point government will need to decide whether to extend relief further or allow the full unsubsidised levy to return, a decision that will largely depend on where oil markets and the rand stand at that point.
