Early petrol and diesel price predictions foretell a massive R3+ hike this April

If you thought the 60c/l hike that befell diesel motorists in March was bad, then April is set to be truly catastrophic. After spending these last few years gradually chipping away at the excessively high fuel prices, all that work is about to be undone. The Central Energy Fund (CEF) predicts a major R3+ hike for diesel prices.

That, if the CEF’s figures come to pass, would see diesel prices rise from the R18.50/l it currently costs to R22.29/l. We wish we could say that petrol drivers would escape unscathed, but that isn’t the case. The CEF’s latest fuel price snapshot also reported a price hike of around R2/l. That’s… rough, to say the least.

That’s like 3 Chappies

We should note that the CEF’s figures (below) are not final and are subject to change. It, in conjunction with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) — the entity responsible for adjusting fuel prices — tracks those economic factors that influence the price of fuel. This allows it to accurately predict the coming changes.

Unfortunately, that means these predictions are likely to worsen over the coming weeks. The biggest factors contributing to local fuel prices are the Rand/US Dollar exchange rate, as well as the price of oil internationally. With the US’ war with Iran, a major player in international oil trades, prices have spiked over the last week.

This has led to a predicted ‘under-recovery’ (price increase) for fuel prices across South Africa. Should the situation overseas worsen, Saffas could be looking at even larger increases. The opposite is also true, though we can’t see tensions settling quite so soon, meaning we’ll have to buckle up and hope for the best.

The DMRE typically adjusts fuel prices on the first Wednesday of a new month. That means new fuel prices will hit pumps on 1 April 2026. Fitting.

Here are the petrol and diesel price predictions (so far) for April 2026: