Surprise GOOD price news for diesel drivers in South Africa

The Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has corrected an error in its May 2026 fuel price calculations.

May 5, 2026 - 14:00

18212

Surprise GOOD price news for diesel drivers in South Africa

The Department of Petroleum and Mineral Resources has corrected an error in its May 2026 fuel price calculations, providing unexpected relief to diesel users.

Following a revised announcement by the Central Energy Fund, the wholesale diesel price increase has been adjusted down to R5.27 per litre, from the previously announced R6.19 per litre.

The correction aligns with the 93 cents per litre fuel levy relief for diesel that had been announced by government but was not properly applied in the initial calculation.

Despite the unexpected relief, it remains a good idea to fill up your tank before midnight on Tuesday, 5 May.

Petrol unchanged

Petrol prices remain unaffected by the revision, as no additional levy relief was introduced for that fuel type. The previously announced increase for petrol therefore stands.

While the adjustment offers short-term relief for diesel users, authorities have cautioned that the benefit is temporary.

Government has confirmed that the tax relief will be phased out over the coming months:

June: Petrol +R1.50/litre, Diesel +R1.97/litre
July: Petrol +R1.50/litre, Diesel +R1.96/litre

Once fully reversed, the relief measures will be completely removed from the fuel price structure.

Impact on motorists

Although the correction will ease immediate pressure at the pumps, particularly for diesel users, motorists can expect fuel costs to rise again in the coming months as the temporary relief is gradually withdrawn.

The revision highlights the complexity of fuel pricing in South Africa – and how even small calculation errors can have a noticeable impact on consumers.

Press-release-30-Ap-26-Change-06-May-2026-3 Download

READ | Here are the latest TAXI fare increases for May 2026

FUEL	PRICE CHANGE
Petrol 93	increase of 327 cents
Petrol 95	increase of 327 cents
Diesel 0.05%	increase of 527 cents
Diesel 0.005%	increase of 527 cents
Illuminating Paraffin	increase of 422 cents

FUEL PRICE IN SOUTH AFRICA IMPACTED BY TWO MAIN FACTORS:

1. The international price of petroleum products, driven mainly by oil prices

2. The rand/dollar exchange rate used in the purchase of these products

Oil price

At the time of publishing the brent crude oil price is $111.43 a barrel.

Exchange rate

At the time of publishing the rand/dollar exchange rate is R16.65/$.

Corrected May 2026 petrol and diesel prices (Inland and Coastal):

INLAND	April	May
Petrol 93	R23.25	R26.52
Petrol 95	R23.36	R26.63
Diesel 0.05%	R25.90	R31.17
Diesel 0.005%	R26.11	R31.37
Illuminating Paraffin	R24.21	R28.43

COASTAL	April	May
Petrol 93	R22.46	R25.73
Petrol 95	R22.53	R25.80
Diesel 0.05%	R25.07	R30.34
Diesel 0.005%	R25.35	R30.62
Illuminating Paraffin	R23.16	R27.38

How will these latest price increases impact you?

Let us know by clicking on the comment banner below …

This article has been sourced from various publicly available news platforms around the world. All intellectual property rights remain with the original publishers and authors. Unshared News does not claim ownership of the content and provides it solely for informational and educational purposes voluntarily. If you are the rightful owner and believe this content has been used improperly, please contact us for prompt removal or correction.