South African motorists face another painful month at the pumps from Wednesday, October 7, 2026.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has confirmed October fuel price increases that land above earlier projections.
Petrol 95 rises by R3.33 a litre and 93 by R3.12, while diesel climbs by R2.84 or R3.24, depending on the grade.
What you will pay from Wednesday
Inland, 95 petrol will cost R30.25 a litre and 93 will rise to R29.88.
That pushes inland petrol past R30 for the first time. Coastal drivers will pay R29.38 for 95 petrol.
A quarterly octane differential adjustment explains why the two petrol grades rise by different amounts.
Wholesale 0.005% diesel reaches R33.29 a litre inland and R32.03 at the coast.
The 0.05% grade costs R31.95 inland, while LPG rises by 42 cents a kilogram. Pump prices for diesel will differ from these wholesale figures.
Why October fuel prices jumped
Brent crude has averaged $101 a barrel during the review period, up from $87.89.
The department has blamed “continued US/Iran tensions” and “uncertainty regarding the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz”, alongside higher shipping costs.
Brent traded at $102.56 on September 30.
Global petrol and diesel prices have also risen amid supply shortages and lower inventories.
The rand offered almost no cushion, moving from 16.213 to 16.212 against the dollar.
The slate levy has increased by 4.38 cents to 87.66 cents a litre, with the cumulative slate at a negative R10.45 billion.
The fuel price trend and what comes next
The latest hike follows the September increase for both petrol and diesel.
In August, petrol dropped by 52 cents while diesel climbed between R1.23 and R1.38 a litre.
Relief now looks unlikely. Treasury treated the previous R3 fuel levy relief as temporary, at an estimated cost of R17.2 billion in foregone revenue.
Economists have noted that Treasury has “no further scope” to cut the General Fuel Levy again.
We track the inputs behind every adjustment in our regular fuel price updates.
The department will publish the magisterial district zone schedule on Tuesday, October 6, 2026.
