home
SA Fuel Price Increase 7 October 2026: Petrol Hits R30.25 Inland – What Changed This Year
Petrol price South Africa hits a record R30.25/ℓ inland from 7 October 2026. Full monthly history for 2026, reasons for the hike, and what it means for drivers.
6 October 2026
South African motorists woke up to a new reality on 7 October 2026: inland 95-octane petrol crossed R30 a litre for the first time.
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources confirmed the following adjustments effective midnight Wednesday 7 October:
Product
Change
New inland price
New coastal price
Petrol 95
+R3.33
R30.25
R29.38
Petrol 93
+R3.12
R29.88
R29.09
Diesel 0.005% (50ppm)
+R3.24
R33.29 (wholesale)
R32.03
Diesel 0.05% (500ppm)
+R2.84
R31.95 (wholesale)
R31.08
Illuminating paraffin (wholesale)
+R3.58
R24.47
R23.41
A 50-litre fill of 95 petrol now costs about R1 512 inland — roughly R166 more than the previous month.
Petrol price history 2026 (inland 95 ULP)
Here’s how the year unfolded:
- January 2026: ~R20.75
- February: ~R20.10
- March: ~R20.30
- April: ~R23.36 (+R3.06)
- May: ~R26.63 (+R3.27)
- June: ~R28.06 (previous record)
- July: ~R26.10
- August: ~R25.58
- September: ~R26.92
- October: R30.25 (+R3.33)
From the start of the year to October, inland 95 petrol has risen by almost R9.50 a litre — nearly 46%. Diesel has climbed even more steeply over the same period.
Why the October hike?
The Department cited a sharp rise in international product prices. Average Brent crude moved from about $87.89 to around $101 a barrel during the review period, driven by continued US/Iran tensions, uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz, higher shipping costs and lower global inventories.
Investec treasury economist Tertia Jacobs told Business Day:
“With the oil market still highly unsettled, oil prices have stayed at more elevated levels than previously anticipated. There’s also a shortage of refined products… The result is this very steep increase of the fuel and diesel price that we’re receiving now for October.”
A small increase in the slate levy (from 83.28c to 87.66c/ℓ) also added to the final pump price.
What drivers can do
Track the official monthly changes and live context on CalculatorHub SA — we update petrol, diesel, Brent and the rand as soon as new figures are released. You can also compare the cost of a full tank against other essentials on our SA Basket Index.