Fuel price hikes: Here’s how much you’re likely to pay for petrol and diesel from March 4

Fuel prices are set to increase from Wednesday, March 4. Fuel prices are currently atfour-year lows, but the good times could soon be over with petrol and diesel price increases on the cards for March, and very likely in April too. Month-end data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is pointing to petrol price hikes of 21 cents for 95 Unleaded and 18 cents for 93 Unleaded, while diesel is looking set to rise by between 62 cents, in the case of 500ppm, and 65 cents for 50ppm.

This will see the price of a litre of 95 Unleaded rising to around R19.48 at the coast and R20.31 in Gauteng, where the cheaper 93 Unleaded will retail for around R20.17. Expect the wholesale price of 50ppm diesel to reach to around R17.84 at the coast and R19.17 inland. The price increases will take effect on Wednesday, March 4, keeping in mind that the above predictions are based on unaudited data.

The final price adjustments will be announced by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources early this week. The anticipated fuel price hikes stem largely from elevated international product prices recorded during February. A firmer South African rand has, however, helped soften the blow, preventing increases that could otherwise have amounted to around 35 cents a litre for petrol and close to 80 cents for diesel.

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Looking ahead, April is likely to bring further upward pressure at the pumps, not only because of the war in the Middle East, which has sent international oil prices spiking in early March, butfuel taxes are set to rise too. This follows the2026 Budget Speechdelivered on Wednesday by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, which confirmed adjustments to both the General Fuel Levy (GFL) and the Road Accident Fund (RAF) levy.

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