Energy

R14 per litre plan for petrol and diesel in South Africa

Malcolm Libera

 ·16 Sep 2026

The government has remained silent on the plans to bring petrol and diesel prices down to R14 per litre in South Africa. 

There are also serious doubts about whether the R14-per-litre figure remains achievable, with motorists facing another major fuel price increase in October that could push prices towards R30 per litre.

Despite this, the Department of Minerals and Petroleum Resources said it is continuing its review of the fuel price formula.

In June 2026, its Annual Performance Plan for 2026/27 confirmed that the review was underway and targeted completion before 31 March 2027.

The department described the review as a “critical strategic intervention” aimed at addressing the pressure that high petrol and diesel prices place on motorists.

In 2024, Minerals and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe said South Africans should be paying around R14 per litre for petrol and diesel if fuel-related levies and other costs were separated from the underlying fuel price.

“Our argument is: you are distorting the price of fuel. Let’s find the formula to separate these things and have the price of fuel visible,” Mantashe said.

He argued that charges such as the Road Accident Fund levy and general fuel levy had pushed the pump price above R20 per litre.

BusinessTech asked Mantashe’s department for an update on the fuel pricing policy review and whether the R14-per-litre figure remains realistic given the significant changes in global oil prices during 2026. 

The department had not responded by the time of publication.

Despite this, the department’s performance plan noted that its review would include an examination of the Regulatory Account System.

It would also take a detailed look at four major margin structures that influence petrol and diesel prices: wholesale, retail, storage and distribution.

Significant savings if the department somehow follows through on its promise

The timing of the review is significant because South African motorists have already been hit by substantial fuel-price increases this year.

Global oil prices have also risen sharply, with Brent crude approaching $110 per barrel as tensions in the Middle East escalated.

As South Africa is a net importer of petroleum products, higher international oil prices and a weaker rand place significant upward pressure on domestic fuel prices.

Mid-month Central Energy Fund data indicate that both petrol and diesel are facing substantial under-recoveries, pointing to increases of around R2 per litre in October if current trends persist.

This would push fuel prices to well over R29 a litre, with the daily under-recoveries edging towards the R30/litre mark.

Such an increase would push petrol towards a new record high, further widening the gap between the current pump price and Mantashe’s R14 target.

If fuel could actually be sold at R14 per litre, motorists would see substantial savings every time they fill up.

A 45-litre petrol tank would cost R630 at R14 per litre, while a 55-litre tank would cost R770.

This means motorists with smaller petrol tanks could save roughly R581 to R711 compared with September’s official prices.

For diesel vehicles with tanks of between 45 and 55 litres, the saving would be about R722 to R883.

For a typical 60-litre SUV, filling up with 95 unleaded petrol at R14 per litre would save around R775. A 60-litre diesel tank would save roughly R963.

The savings are even greater for larger SUVs and bakkies. A 75-litre petrol tank would save about R969, while an 80-litre tank would save around R1,034.

For 50ppm diesel, the savings would range from approximately R1,203 for a 75-litre tank to R1,284 for an 80-litre tank.