Godongwana confirms fuel levy cut to ease petrol price increase

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana. Picture: X/GovernmentZA Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has confirmed a R3 fuel levy cut for April to ease the hefty increase set to hit motorists at midnight. Godongwana previously announced a fuel levy increase during his Budget Speech in late February.

On Tuesday, he noted that the fuel levy cut is only for April, while the government decides what to do for the next two months. “I will temporarily be lowering the fuel levy for this month of April by R3 and then I am still discussing what we can do for the next two months,” Godongwana said. Godongwana had made an increase to the fuel levy days before the outbreak of the Middle East conflict, which has led to oil prices surging.

The escalated tension has caused the South African government to implement measures to cushion the financial blow to South Africans. “The first phase is the temporary reduction in the general fuel levy and addressing fuel security concerns,” read a joint media statement between Treasury and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. “The minister of finance proposes that the general fuel levy is temporarily reduced by R3 per litre from Wednesday 1 April 2026 to Tuesday 5 May 2026.

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“This will reduce the general fuel levy for petrol from R4.10 per litre to R1.10 per litre and reduce the general fuel levy for diesel from R3.93 per litre to R0.93 per litre for one month. These amounts exclude other levies such as the Road Accident Fund levy and the carbon fuel levy.” The temporary relief will see R6 billion lost in tax revenue.

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