How much it costs to drive South Africa’s most popular cars after the record petrol price hike
South African motorists can expect to pay record amounts to fill up their cars this week, with the cost of diesel and petrol set to climb by around R1.46 per litre on Wednesday (2 March).
The increases for March are mainly attributable to rising international petroleum prices as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and would have been more severe had the rand not stabilised against the US Dollar in the last few weeks.
The increases have pushed fuel prices in South Africa to record highs. For the first time in history, 95 octane petrol inland will rise above R21 a litre, and by a significant margin.
As of Wednesday, this fuel will cost R21.60/l while at the coast it will cost R20.88/l, the first time it has breached the R20/l level, the Automobile Association said.
This is how the prices will reflect at the pumps when factoring in the slate levy and other costs.
| Fuel (Inland) | February official | March official |
|---|---|---|
| 95 Petrol | R20.14 | R21.60 |
| 93 Petrol | R19.89 | R21.35 |
| 0.05% diesel (wholesale) | R18.04 | R19.49 |
| 0.005% diesel (wholesale) | R18.07 | R19.55 |
| Illuminating Paraffin | R11.97 | R13.19 |
The table below shows how much you pay to fill up your car’s tank with 95 and 93 unleaded inland in March compared to February.
| Tank size | 93 unleaded | Added cost in February | 95 unleaded | Added cost in February |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45 litres | R961 | +R65.70 | R972 | +R65.70 |
| 60 litres | R1 281 | +R87.60 | R1 296 | +R87.60 |
| 80 litres | R1 708 | +R116.80 | R1 728 | +R116.80 |
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 now cost you to travel 100km right now in some of the country’s best selling cars.
Ford Ranger 2.2TDCi double cab Hi-Rider – From R411,800
- 6.5/100km*
- R126.69/100km
Renault Kwid 1.0 Expression – From R167,900
- 4.7 litres/100km
- R101.52/100km
Toyota Fortuner 2.4GD-6 – From R599,000
- 6.8 litres/100km*
- R132.53/100km
Toyota Hilux 2.4GD-6 Xtra cab Raider – From R486,700
- 7.1 litres/100km*
- R138.37/100km
Volkswagen Polo Vivo hatch 1.4 Trendline – From R227,900
- 5.7 litres/100km
- R123.12/100km
*Indicates a car has a diesel engine.
All prices are estimates and are based on the manufacturer’s average fuel consumption per/100km.
In each case, the manufacturer’s least expensive double-cab model was considered. 95 octane (R21.60) and 0.05% diesel price (R19.49) as of March 2022 were used for comparison purposes.
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