The price of petrol will rise by about R3 a litre tomorrow, while diesel will increase by around R7 a litre.

The increases were announced this afternoon by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources this afternoon. It said that the price of petrol will increase by R3.06 a litre, diesel by R7.37 a litre for 0.05% sulphur and R7.51 a litre for 0.005% sulphur, and illuminating paraffin by R11.67 a litre at wholesale level. The single maximum national retail price for illuminating paraffin will rise by R15.60 a litre.

These increases already reflect a temporary R3.00 per litre reduction in the general fuel levy on petrol and diesel, which will apply from 1 April to 5 May 2026.

Strip that relief out, and the underlying increases come into view. Petrol would have risen by about R6.06 a litre, while diesel increases would have exceeded R10 a litre across both grades. The intervention reduces the price, but it does not change the direction or the scale of the pressure.

The department attributed the increase primarily to higher international product prices, which “followed the increasing trend of crude oil price”. This alone added R5.26 a litre to petrol, R9.49 a litre to diesel, and R10.80 a litre to illuminating paraffin at the basic fuel price level.

A weaker rand compounded the effect. The average exchange rate moved from R16.00 to R16.64 against the American dollar during the review period, increasing the cost of fuel imports.

Illuminating paraffin, which did not receive the same levy relief, saw the largest increase, reflecting the full impact of the underlying price shock.

The April adjustment feeds directly into transport costs, food prices, and broader inflation, and underscores the extent to which domestic prices remain tied to global oil markets and currency movements.

The government has indicated that the levy reduction is temporary. For now, it has softened the increase. It has not avoided it.