{"id":880990,"date":"2026-10-28T09:15:41","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T07:15:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=880990"},"modified":"2026-10-28T09:24:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T07:24:40","slug":"r15-per-litre-alternative-to-high-petrol-prices-gaining-momentum-in-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/energy\/880990\/r15-per-litre-alternative-to-high-petrol-prices-gaining-momentum-in-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"R15 per litre alternative to high petrol prices gaining momentum in South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite the fuel price relief from the Treasury, South African motorists are still expected to pay close to R30 per litre next month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

South African motorists could save thousands of rands a month by switching to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with the alternative fuel selling for around R15 per litre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The option is gaining attention as record fuel prices put pressure on households and businesses. There have been renewed calls for cheaper alternatives that do not require motorists to replace their existing vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has announced temporary fuel levy reductions from 4 November 2026, cutting the levy by R1.50 per litre for petrol and R3 per litre for diesel until 1 December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relief will then continue at reduced levels until 5 January 2027, with cuts of R1 per litre for petrol and R1.50 for diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the relief may not prevent further increases. Central Energy Fund data up to 27 October showed average under-recoveries of approximately R1.07 per litre for 95-octane petrol and R2.92 per litre for diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Petrol prices reached record highs in October after an increase of R3.33 per litre pushed prices above R30 for the first time. At current recoveries, including the relief, petrol will sit at around R29.82 in November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considering this, the Automotive Remanufacturers\u2019 Association (ARA), part of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation, is promoting LPG Autogas as an alternative at the Automechanika Johannesburg exhibition from 27 to 29 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LPG conversions allow suitable petrol-powered vehicles to run on gas, potentially reducing fuel expenditure without requiring owners to purchase new vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Isinkwe Energies managing director Kyle Hartley, LPG prices are not expected to fluctuate as sharply as petrol and diesel prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe anticipate some movement in LPG pricing, though we don\u2019t expect it to track at the same rate of change we are seeing with petrol and diesel prices,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drive LP AutoGas lists filling stations across Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and Mpumalanga, with prices ranging from R14.74 per litre inland to R15.90 per litre at the coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much you can save <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

BusinessTech calculated the potential savings using the Suzuki Dzire, a small car that consumes a claimed 4.9 litres of petrol per 100km.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The calculations assumed consumption would increase by 10% after conversion, to 5.39 litres per 100km.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using an inland petrol price of R30.25 per litre and the highest listed LPG price of R15.90, motorists driving between 250km and 1,000km monthly could save between R194 and R774.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those travelling between 1,250km and 3,000km could save between R967 and R2,320 a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, converting a vehicle would initially cut into the savings. Isinkwe Energies charges R33,293, including VAT and installation, which means motorists must drive for some time before their fuel savings recover the initial cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gina Giani, chief executive of DFSK South Africa, said high fuel prices were also forcing businesses to reconsider their vehicle operating costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFuel prices are not coming down anytime soon, and expecting our customers to absorb those costs is not a strategy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DFSK has introduced manufacturer-approved LPG conversion kits for its petrol vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company reported that a C35 panel van covered a 1,200km roadshow using 80 litres of LPG and a quarter of a tank of petrol, with claimed operating savings of between 30% and 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARA national director Attie Serfontein said LPG could offer motorists and businesses another way to manage costs while reducing emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSouth Africa needs practical mobility solutions that balance affordability with environmental responsibility,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLPG Autogas offers motorists and businesses another option to manage operating costs while supporting the transition to lower-emission transport.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industry figures cited by the association suggest LPG can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 21% and fine particulate matter by up to 95%, although results depend on the vehicle and operating conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

LPG is not emission-free, and conversion is not suitable for every vehicle. Wider adoption will also depend on refuelling infrastructure, qualified technicians, safe installations, and ongoing maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hartley added that while Isinkwe Energies has seen a significant surge in interest and enquiries, the actual conversion rate hasn’t fully matched the demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We estimate that about 30% of those inquiries translate into active Autogas conversions. However, the most notable shift is among our existing fleet clients,” he told BusinessTech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Companies that already understood the cost benefits of LPG are now accelerating their rollouts and expanding conversion across their broader, and in some cases national, fleets.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isinkwe Energies now has 12 dedicated Autogas stations located in KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape, and Gauteng. Hartley added that a new Midrand site is being commissioned soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notably, Isinkwe Energies’ prices are even lower, with prices per litre ranging from R11.30 inland to R12.78 at the coast. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A R15 per litre alternative is gaining attention as record fuel prices put pressure on households and businesses in South Africa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":797174,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"failed","_sma_x_autopost_error":"Instagram publishing failed: Instagram returned HTTP 400: Media ID is not available","_sma_x_post_id":"2115343066131259619","_sma_facebook_post_id":"191437357620492_2251920855628313","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9874],"tags":[26575,853],"class_list":["post-880990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","tag-current-central-energy-fund-cef","tag-south-africa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/92"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=880990"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880990\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":881721,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/880990\/revisions\/881721"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/797174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=880990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=880990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=880990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}