While the DMRE has yet to officially confirm the petrol and diesel price adjustments for April 2026, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has some good news for motorists. A temporary reduction in the fuel levy will see R3 knocked off the coming fuel price hikes, which, according to the Central Energy Fund, are going to be rough.
It ain’t much, but it’s honest work
“I will temporarily be lowering the fuel levy for this month of April by R3.00, and then I am still discussing what we can do for the next two months,” Godongwana said in an interview at the South Africa Investment Conference (via Bloomberg). The measure, which will be made official later today, was introduced to offset the hikes.
Oil prices have seen a massive surge in the last month as the crisis in the Middle East goes unresolved. Iran, one of the largest exporters of oil globally, has since closed the Strait of Hormuz. This has resulted in wildly fluctuating oil prices since. Prices touched as close as $119/barrel, way up from sub-$100 prices we saw before.
Read More: Diesel set for nearly R10 price hike at the pumps in April
Before Godongwana’s announcement, both the petrol and diesel general levies were set to see a small hike. As it stands, the petrol general fuel levy sits at R4.01, and was set to increase to R4.10 tomorrow. The diesel general levy is currently at R3.85/l, and would have risen to R3.93 before the Minister stepped in. The Road Accident Fund levy will, unfortunately, see a small addition, rising from R2.18 to R2.25 tomorrow.
Motorists will still, of course, see a massive fuel price increase on Wednesday, 1 April. The CEF’s current predictions foretell a R10+ increase for diesel drivers in April, which should be cut down to around R7/l now. Petrol drivers are a little luckier, facing a roughly R6+ increase for 93 and 95-grades. Instead, this will bring about a smaller R3+ increase. With a R3/l reduction, drivers can better plan their fuel-spending habits.
