War. War never changes. But petrol prices do, and will, if the latest fuel price snapshot from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is anything to go by. Judging by the company’s history of accurately forecasting South Africa’s fuel price adjustments, we should probably mention that the latest predictions don’t look pretty. For anyone.
Diesel drivers, in particular, are facing a rather hefty hike, currently in the ballpark of R5/l. Petrol drivers won’t be let off easy either, with the CEF’s forecasts teasing a R3/l hike. You can thank the war in Iran for the sudden deviation from March’s official fuel prices, which only delivered a tame-by-comparison 65c/l increase.
Not an early April Fool’s joke
There is, of course, time for the situation to turn around. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), responsible for adjusting SA’s fuel prices, typically only makes those changes on the first Wednesday of a new month. That still leaves a few weeks for the situation to lighten. Or, things could get even worse.
The CEF, in conjunction with the DRME, track those economic factors that influence the price of fuel. The factors with the heaviest hands are the average Rand/US Dollar exchange rate, as well as the average price of oil globally. After spiking at around $120/barrel earlier this week, prices have since seen a massive drop, settling at $90.
That could mean good news for the CEF’s future projections, and possibly lead to a reduction in the ballooning fuel prices as seen below. Check back with Stuff to keep up to date on the coming adjustments next month. The DMRE will introduce official fuel price adjustments on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
Here are the petrol and diesel price predictions (so far) for April 2026:
- Petrol 93: increase of 312 cents per litre (R3.12)
- Petrol 95: increase of 335 cents per litre (R3.35)
- Diesel 0.05%: increase of 566 cents per litre (R5.66)
- Diesel 0.005%: increase of 579 cents per litre (R5.79)
- Illuminating Paraffin: increase of 768 cents per litre (R7.68)
