R200 for a full tank of 93-unleaded petrol in South Africa

20 years ago, South Africans could fill a 40-litre petrol tank for about R200. Today, the same amount of petrol costs over R1,000, as petrol prices far outstripped inflation over the period.

According to historical data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), motorists filling up with 93 petrol paid R200.80 for a 40-litre tank in 2005.

As of September 2026, that same tank costs R1,070.40, based on a petrol price of R26.76 per litre. This is an increase of more than 433% in petrol prices over the period.

Inflation over the same period was 203.7%, meaning petrol prices increased at more than twice the rate of overall consumer inflation.

The significant increase in fuel prices has been driven by a combination of international and domestic factors.

These include global oil prices, geopolitical conflicts, movements in the rand-dollar exchange rate and South Africa’s taxes and fuel levies.

Stats SA’s historical review of fuel prices shows that South African motorists have faced several major shocks over the decades.

One of the biggest came in January 1985, when the government announced an overnight petrol price increase of 39.4%, taking the price from 63.5 cents to 88.5 cents per litre.

Stats SA described this as “the single largest increase over the 50 years” covered by its analysis.

“Motorists and farmers felt the immediate pain, while commuters ultimately bore the brunt of higher taxi, bus, rail and air fares,” Stats SA said.

Another major shock came in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait, and global oil markets were disrupted during the Gulf War.

South African motorists experienced increases in both September and October. By 2005, inland 93 petrol had passed the R5-per-litre mark.

Three years later, another major global commodities boom pushed crude oil above $145 per barrel.

Petrol prices subsequently doubled in only three years and crossed the R10-per-litre threshold in 2008. Motorists faced six consecutive increases during that year.

How much more you’re paying in 2026

The prolonged rise in food and fuel costs also contributed to labour unrest, and Stats SA noted that a major trade union staged rolling strikes in response to the price increases.

The R20-per-litre petrol milestone was eventually reached in December 2021, when Stats SA said “Christmas cheer was dampened” by another substantial increase.

Prices climbed further to R26.31 per litre in July 2022, following the disruption to global energy markets caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

There was some relief afterwards, with petrol falling to R19.99 per litre in February 2026. However, this relief proved to be only temporary.

Renewed geopolitical tensions in 2026 once again pushed international oil prices higher. Conflict between the United States and Iran disrupted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while the Russia-Ukraine war continued to affect global energy markets.

The rand’s movements against the dollar added another layer of pressure because South Africa imports much of its fuel, and international petroleum prices are largely dollar-denominated.

Current data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) points to another massive increase in October. 

Based on the latest daily under- and over-recovery figures, petrol could rise by roughly R2.47 to R2.62 per litre, while diesel could increase by between R2.42 and R2.81.

If these increases are realised, petrol could reach about R29.54 per litre, taking the cost of a 40-litre tank to almost R1,182.

Diesel could also reach a new record, with 0.005% diesel potentially rising from R30.05 to about R32.86 per litre.

Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said the government continues to administer fuel prices in accordance with legislation.

He also said the department is reviewing the regulatory accounting system, which will ultimately affect margins across the fuel value chain. The review is expected to be completed by March 2027.

The cost breakdown for filling a 40-litre tank in 2005 and 2026 is shown in the table below.

Year	Petrol Type	Price per Litre (R)	Cost to Fill 40L Tank (R)
2005	Inland 93 Petrol	R5.02	R200.80
September 2026 (Inland)	Inland 93 Petrol	R26.76	R1,070.40
Increase	—	+R21.74	+R869.60
Change (%)	—	+433.10%	+433.10%