Many, ourselves included, are still reeling after the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE) official fuel price adjustments sent the price of diesel soaring roughly 80c/l. Petrol drivers didn’t go unscathed, either, with a smaller (but still unwelcome) 29c/l increase heaped onto their plates. According to the latest data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF), South African motorists may be in for yet another round of hikes.

Petrol taking a hike in 2026

While the DMRE is responsible for adjusting South Africa’s petrol pumps every month, it enlists the help of the CEF to track those economic factors that influence the price of fuel locally. The CEF publishes this data every day of the week, offering motorists an accurate insight into the coming fuel price adjustments ahead of time.

It does this by primarily tracking the average Rand/US Dollar exchange rate throughout any given month, alongside the average price of oil products globally. These, in conjunction, are the biggest factors determining South Africa’s monthly fuel price adjustments — with oil prices being to blame for the recent hike.

Fortunately, there’s still some time before we have to worry about it too hard. As ever, the DMRE typically adjusts fuel prices on the first Wednesday of every month — in this case, Wednesday, 7 January 2026. While only petrol prices are on the fuel pegged to get an increase, it’s possible things could turn around.

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