September petrol price hikes: How much more it will cost you to fill up from today

South African motorists are now paying almost R25 per litre to fill up their cars from today (6 September), with the cost of diesel and petrol climbing by around R1.71 and R2.84 per litre, respectively.

Fuel prices have increased significantly since the start of the year, with petrol prices increasing by 14.6%. Diesel, meanwhile, has increased by 8.7%, despite consecutive cuts in the first half of 2023.

According to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, the increases for September are mainly attributable to rising international petroleum prices, while the rand depreciated against the US Dollar during the period under review, on average, compared to the previous period.

As of Wednesday, inland 95 octane petrol costs R24.54/l, while at the coast, it costs R23.82/l, factoring in the slate levy and other costs. Diesel will be hiked by between R2.76 and R2.84 a litre – marking the steepest increase in petrol since July last year and a new record diesel rate.

Notably, however, is that despite the upward pressure on fuel prices, the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy approved a retail margin increase of 5.0 c/l to be effected in the retail price structures of all octane grades of petrol, which he said is necessary to accommodate the wage increases of pump attendants, cashiers and administrative staff at service stations.

The pain of these increases will not only be felt at the pumps but at the grocery stores as well.

The AA said that the increases – especially diesel – will have negative consequences for consumers as higher input costs will be recovered through higher prices at the till.

“Motorists will feel the pinch in higher prices at the pumps, but consumers across the board can expect higher prices for goods and services,” it said.

The table below shows the latest pump prices as of September 2023.

The tables below show how much you pay to fill up your car’s tank with petrol and diesel inland in September compared to August 2023.

Petrol

Diesel

While it is impossible to accurately track exactly how much petrol you will consume due to traffic and road quality, it is possible to get a rough estimate of how these petrol prices will impact your current petrol allowance based on manufacturer estimates.

Below, BusinessTech looks at how much it will cost you to travel 100km right now in some of the country’s best-selling cars, as outlined by Naamsa.

Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 double cab Raider

• 7.1 litres/100km*
• R163.65/100km
• Change: +R20.17

Ford Ranger 2.0 SiT double cab

• 6.9 litres/100km*
• R159.05/100km
• Change: +R19.60

Toyota Corolla Cross 1.8 Xi

• 6.8 litres/100km
• R166.87/100km
• Change: +R11.63

Isuzu D-Max 1.9TD double cab

• 7.3 litres/100km*
• R168.27/100km
• Change: +R20.74

VW Polo Vivo hatch 1.4 Trendline

• 5.7 litres/100km
• R139.88/100km
• Change: +R9.75

Toyota Hiace 2.7 Ses-fikile 16-seater

• 14.3 litres/100km
• R350.92/100km
• Change: +R24.45

Toyota Starlet 1.5 Xi

• 5.4 litres/100km
• R132.52/100km
• Change: +R9.24

Suzuki Swift 1.2 GA

• 4.9 litres/100km
• R120.25/100km
• Change: +R8.38

Nissan NP200 1.6i safety pack

• 8.1 litres/100km
• R198.77/100km
• Change: +R13.85

Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6

• 6.8 litres/100km*
• R156.74/100km
• Change: +R19.31

*Indicates a car has a diesel engine. 

All prices are estimates based on the manufacturer’s average fuel consumption per/100km.

The manufacturer’s least expensive double-cab, SUV, Crossover, and hatchback models were considered in each case. 95 octane (R24.54) and 0.05% diesel price (R23.05) as of September 2023 were used for comparison purposes.

Read: This is how much South Africans are spending on a new car right now