Emergency Fuel Tax Cut Brings Slight Relief: November 2026 Fuel Prices Breakdown
Although underlying basic fuel costs and global oil benchmarks climbed sharply during October, a temporary reduction in the General Fuel Levy (GFL) has turned what would have been another severe price hike into minor price drops.
Fuel Price Adjustments (Effective 4 November 2026)
The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) confirmed the following changes after factoring in the temporary fuel levy reduction:
| Fuel Grade | Official Price Adjustment |
| Petrol 93 (ULP & LRP) | Decrease of 1 cent per litre (R0.01) |
| Petrol 95 (ULP & LRP) | Decrease of 1 cent per litre (R0.01) |
| Diesel 0.05% (500ppm wholesale) | Decrease of R1.10 per litre |
| Diesel 0.005% (50ppm wholesale) | Decrease of R1.20 per litre |
Please note that pump prices vary by region due to magisterial inland vs. coastal transport tariffs, and retail diesel margins are set independently by service stations.
Emergency Tax Relief Measures
In response to sustained pressure on households and logistics networks, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a temporary relief package slashing the General Fuel Levy (GFL):
Petrol: Tax reduced by R1.50 per litre.
Diesel: Tax reduced by R3.00 per litre.
This tax cut will remain in effect for one month, running from 4 November until 1 December 2026.
What Drove Underlying Fuel Costs Higher?
Without the Treasury’s intervention, pump prices would have climbed substantially due to several global and domestic market pressures:
Escalating Crude Oil Prices: Brent Crude oil traded with extreme volatility throughout October, surging from $96 per barrel to an intra-month high of $116 per barrel.
Tight Global Product Supplies: Rising international product demand heading into the Northern Hemisphere winter offset international supply interventions, including US sanction waivers and Russia lifting export bans. This added 80.41 c/l to petrol and 94.22 c/l to diesel basic fuel costs.
A Weaker Rand: The South African Rand slipped against the US Dollar from R16.21 to R16.55 per USD during the review window, adding another 36.93 c/l to petrol and 49.00 c/l to diesel.
Higher Slate Levy: With the cumulative petrol and diesel slate balance reaching a negative R15.876 billion at the end of September, the self-adjusting Slate Levy has been set at 135.84 c/l effective 4 November.
While the temporary tax reprieve shields commuters and the freight industry from double-digit percentage hikes, fuel prices remain near record highs across the country.
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