South Africa cuts diesel by more than R1 a litre, helped by a temporary cut in fuel tax
Petrol fell by just 1 cent from 4 November while cooking gas went up. The government is giving up part of its fuel levy for two months to soften the blow of costly oil.
In 30 seconds
- From 4 November, South Africa cut diesel by 109.82 to 119.82 cents a litre and petrol by 1 cent, the government said.
- LPG (cooking gas) rose by 183 cents a kilogram, and 208 cents in the Western Cape.
- A temporary cut in the general fuel levy, R3 a litre on diesel and R1.50 on petrol, took effect the same day.
- Without it, higher oil prices and a weaker rand would have pushed prices up.
South Africa's drivers got a small break this month, mostly because the government chose to collect less tax on each litre.
The new prices
The changes took effect on Wednesday 4 November, the Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, announced. In cents per litre:
- Petrol 93 and 95: down 1.00
- Diesel (0.05% sulphur): down 109.82
- Diesel (0.005% sulphur): down 119.82
- LPG: up 183.00 cents a kilogram, and 208.00 cents in the Western Cape
TimesLIVE worked out that 95 petrol now costs about R30.24 a litre in Gauteng and R29.37 at the coast.
Why prices would have gone up
The government statement says the average Brent crude price rose from about $101 to $108 a barrel over the review period. It blamed "uncertainty caused by Middle East conflict", plus higher freight and insurance costs. The rand also weakened, from 16.21 to 16.55 to the US dollar, adding 36.93 cents a litre to petrol and 49.00 cents to diesel.
On top of that, the slate levy, which recovers past shortfalls in the fuel price account, rose by 48.18 cents a litre, from 87.66 to 135.84 cents.
The tax cut that made the difference
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a temporary cut to the general fuel levy in his mid-term budget statement on 21 October. It takes R3 a litre off diesel and R1.50 off petrol from 4 November. According to Stuff, the cut halves to R1.50 on diesel and R1 on petrol from 1 December to 5 January 2027, and costs the treasury about R10 billion. The government's own statement does not give an end date.
What it means for you
Nigeria no longer subsidises petrol, and pump prices follow crude and the naira. South Africa shows another lever: a government can cut its own fuel tax when oil spikes, giving up revenue to protect drivers and transporters. It is not free. South Africa expects to lose about R10 billion. When oil prices are high, the same pressures that raise prices in Johannesburg raise them in Lagos.
Words to know
- Fuel levy
- A tax added to every litre of fuel, collected by government.
- Slate levy
- A charge South Africa adds to fuel prices to recover past shortfalls in its price-setting account.
- Rand
- South Africa's currency. Like the naira, a weaker rand makes imported fuel dearer.
Sources
- South African Government: Minister Gwede Mantashe announces adjustment of fuel prices effective from 4 November 2026 (3 Nov 2026)
- TimesLIVE: November fuel price changes bring good news for diesel, less so for petrol (3 Nov 2026)
- Stuff: Government temporarily cuts fuel levies by R3/l for diesel and R1.50/l for petrol (22 Oct 2026)
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it and say so.