If you thought the R6+ hike predicted petrol and diesel prices for April couldn’t get any worse, think again. The latest fuel price snapshots from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) — which, unfortunately, are rather accurate — predict that South Africa is facing a massive increase across the board, resulting in a R8/l+ hike for diesel alone.
Strap in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride
Petrol, too, hasn’t escaped unscathed. It is, however, projected to see a more gradual increase, currently hovering around R5/l. Of course, until the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) come to a final decision, predicted prices could continue to climb. Whether it’s petrol or diesel, nobody is getting off easy in April.
Of course, the opposite is also true. The CEF’s figures below are not final and subject to change. It, in conjunction with the DMRE, tracks those economic factors that influence the price of fuel locally. These snapshots offer South Africans a glimpse behind the fuel price curtain, and allow them to prepare for what’s coming. Thanks…
That means that if the factors swing in the other direction, drivers could be looking at a small reduction of the expected increases seen below. The odds of them swining so far in the other direction that drivers end up paying less for their fuel in April are… low. What with the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, oil prices are volatile.
That, as well as the average Rand/US Dollar exchange rate, are the biggest drivers in South Africa’s fuel prices. Oil prices are currently hovering around the $100/barrel mark, a stark increase over the roughly $60/barrel it was trading at near the beginning of the year. This could only continue to rise as time goes on.
The DMRE typically adjusts South Africa’s pumps on the first Wednesday of the new month. That’ll be 1 April 2026, in this case. Check back with Stuff to keep an eye on the coming fuel price hikes.
Here are the petrol and diesel price predictions (so far) for April 2026:
- Petrol 93: increase of 468 cents per litre (R4.68)
- Petrol 95: increase of 520 cents per litre (R5.20)
- Diesel 0.05%: increase of 852 cents per litre (R8.52)
- Diesel 0.005%: increase of 864 cents per litre (R8.64)
- Illuminating Paraffin: increase of 1,058 cents per litre (R10.58)w
