⛽ What does it cost to fill your tank?
2000
R2.49/L — Baseline. Petrol affordable for most South Africans.
2005
R4.68/L — Steady climb driven by global oil demand and rand weakness.
2008
R9.04/L — Global oil spike. Brent crude hit $147/bbl. First major shock for SA motorists.
2009
R6.51/L — Sharp drop after financial crisis. Oil crashed; SA prices followed.
2014
R13.40/L — Peak before oil correction. OPEC refused to cut supply; prices fell into 2016.
2016
R11.74/L — Temporary relief. Low oil prices offered breathing room for SA consumers.
2018
R16.56/L — New record at the time. Rand/dollar weakness amplified global oil price rises.
2020
R12.52/L — COVID-19 demand collapse. Brent fell to $20/bbl. Biggest single-year petrol drop in SA history.
Jun 2022
R26.74/L — Record at the time. Russia-Ukraine war drove oil to $120/bbl. Load shedding + petrol crisis hit simultaneously.
Jul 2022
Historic fuel levy cut. SA government cut the general fuel levy by R1.50/L for the first time ever — temporary relief measure.
2023
~R22.46/L avg — Gradual retreat as oil markets stabilised. Levy restored. Still far above pre-2022 levels.
May–Jun 2025
R27.95/L peak — Geopolitical tensions (Strait of Hormuz) drove oil sharply higher. Diesel hit R31.18/L in May 2025 — a historic record at the time.
Jul 2025
R21.87/L — Dramatic reversal as tensions eased and oil supply normalised. Prices fell R6/L in a single month.
Jun 2026
R28.06/L — NEW ALL-TIME HIGH. 95 ULP breaks the 2022 record. Diesel at R28.76/L after dropping from R31.38/L in May 2026.