Petrol and diesel price disaster hits South Africa

South Africans brought 35% less fuel in April compared to March, as skyrocketing prices began to impact household spending across the country. 

This is feedback from Discovery Insure, which analysed telematics and fuel reward card swipes from over 200,000 clients in South Africa. 

The data gives the insurance provider significant information regarding how motorists responded to one of the sharpest increases in fuel prices in South African history. 

Following the government’s R3 cut to the General Fuel Levy, petrol prices rose by R3.06 per litre and diesel by as much as R7.51 per litre on 1 April. 

Apart from cutting back on fuel spend, motorists also shifted their driving behaviour. Trips taken fell by 10%, and the total distance travelled fell by 9%. 

Even when removing the Easter weekend, 3 to 6 April 2026, from the data, Discovery Insure said trips and distance travelled were still down by 8%.

“Even with the government’s effort to soften the impact by temporarily cutting the fuel levy by R3, consumers are tightening their belts by driving less, combining trips, and being more deliberate about when they use their cars,” Discovery Insure CEO Robert Attwell said. 

Attwell explained that the change in behaviour followed a sharp spike in activity just before the price increase, with daily fuel transactions doubled compared to the rest of the month on 30 and 31 March. 

“This highlights how quickly people react. There was a strong push to fill up before the increase, driven by uncertainty, followed by a pullback as behaviour adjusted towards the end of the month,” he explained. 

“Fuel spend started to pick up slightly in the third week of April, showing that while people responded quickly to manage costs, they started to find a balance.”

The findings come as motorists brace for an expected increase in fuel prices, which will take effect on Wednesday, 6 May.

Prices at the pump in South Africa will rise significantly again in May, with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources announcing the following changes –

• Petrol 93 – increase of R3.27 per litre
• Petrol 95 – increase of R3.27 per litre
• Diesel 0.05% – increase of R6.19 per litre
• Diesel 0.005% – increase of R6.19 per litre

These increases come in spite of the National Treasury announcing an extension to the temporary reduction in the General Fuel Levy, which has been extended until 2 June.

EVs and ride-hailing

South Africans are also shifting their interest in vehicles, with enquiries for hybrids and electric vehicles surging on AutoTrader. 

AutoTrader CEO George Mienie revealed that the platform’s latest on-site data for March showed that enquiries for diesel vehicles plunged by 18% in comparison to mid-February.

At the same time, interest in alternative technologies has risen sharply, with searches for EVs surging by 45% over the same period and searches for hybrids are up 16%.

“Together, these shifts suggest that rising fuel costs are pushing many South Africans to reconsider their reliance on traditional fossil fuels,” Mienie said. 

Mienie explained that this is, crucially, also turning into action, with consumers engaging with alternatives to fossil fuel-powered vehicles more seriously.

“None of this means diesel is disappearing overnight, or that South Africa has suddenly become an electric vehicle market,” Miene said.  

“But an -18% change in diesel enquiries over four weeks is a meaningful signal, especially when it is happening alongside stronger interest in electric and hybrid alternatives.”

Discovery Bank and Visa also pointed to South Africans increasingly using ride-hailing services as opposed to driving privately. 

In the SpendTrend26 report, Discovery Bank noted that fuel spending continued to grow in South Africa in 2025, albeit at a slower pace.

Fuel still accounts for the majority of mobility spend, representing 82% of total combined spend. However, ride-hailing spending is growing faster month-on-month.

The bank noted that this trend was accelerating, with ride-hailing spending rising particularly strongly during the second half of 2025. 

This is also borne out by the responses from those surveyed, with ride-hailing usage surging in 2025 across all users. 

58% of respondents said they use ride-hailing more than they did 12 months ago, while 70% of 18- to 30-year-olds reported increased usage in 2025.