October 2026 fuel price: Inland petrol tops R30 a litre for the first time

The October fuel price is official, and it’s worse than the forecasts predicted. From Wednesday, South Africans will pay more at the pumps than ever before.

The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources has confirmed the new prices, which take effect on Wednesday, 7 October.

• Petrol 95 rises by R3.33 a litre.
• Petrol 93 rises by R3.12.
• Diesel climbs by between R2.84 and R3.24 a litre, depending on the grade.

WHAT THE OCTOBER 2026 FUEL PRICE MEANS AT THE PUMP

In September, 95 petrol cost R26.92 a litre inland and R26.05 at the coast.

Add the October 2026 increase, and inland 95 climbs to about R30.25 a litre. That pushes petrol past R30 for the first time in South Africa’s history.

At the coast, including Cape Town and Durban, 95 rises to about R29.38. Inland 93 climbs to about R29.88.

The previous record for 95 petrol was set in June 2026, at R28.06 a litre inland and R27.19 at the coast.

Diesel is breaking records too.The wholesale price of 500ppm diesel rises from R29.11 to about R31.95 a litre inland.

That’s above its peak of R31.18 in May 2026.

Here’s what that looks like in your wallet

Filling a 50-litre tank with inland 95 will cost about R166.50 more than in September 2026.

That’s roughly R1512 a tank, up from R1346.

A year ago, things looked very different.

In September 2025, 95 petrol cost R21.55 a litre inland.

WHY THE OCTOBER FUEL PRICE IS SO HIGH

According to the department, the average Brent crude oil price rose from $87.89 (R1,425) to $101 (R1,637) a barrel during the review period.

The department blamed continued US-Iran tensions, uncertainty over oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, higher shipping costs and shrinking inventories.

The rand offered almost no help. It strengthened ever so slightly, from R16.213 to R16.212 to the dollar, and that shaved less than a cent off each litre. The final hike also overshot the forecasts.

PARAFFIN AND GAS GO UP TOO

It’s not only motorists who will feel the pain.

The wholesale price of illuminating paraffin rises by R3.58 a litre, with its maximum retail price climbing by R4.77 a litre.

LPGas goes up by 42 cents a kilogram, and by 48 cents in the Western Cape.

Many households rely on paraffin and gas for cooking and heating, so these increases reach well beyond the forecourt.

The DMPR will publish the full price schedule for each zone on Tuesday, 6 October, so check your area’s exact pump price before you fill up.