Your fuel bill is up R950 a month. How SA drivers are filling up now

South African drivers are spending up to R950 more a month on fuel than they did at the start of 2025, according to new data from Discovery Insure. Average monthly fuel spend among its clients rose from about R1 750 to between R2 500 and R2 700 by mid-2026, an increase of 43% to 54% (Discovery).

The figures, released on 2 November, come from fuel transactions and vehicle tracking data from more than 200 000 Discovery Insure clients (Discovery).

How much more is a tank of petrol costing you?

Inland 95 unleaded went from R20.75 a litre in January 2026 to R30.25 in October, a 46% jump. On a 50-litre tank, that is R475 more per fill than in January (Discovery).

The increases started in March, after the US launched its war against Iran on 28 February (BusinessTech).

Source: BusinessTech, monthly per-litre adjustments.

Are people buying less fuel?

Yes, in litres. Discovery Insure clients bought 33% less fuel by volume in October, after the price hike pushed inland 95 above R30 a litre for the first time (Discovery). In May, volumes were 23% lower than in January and February (Discovery).

The bigger change is how people fill up:

• The average purchase fell from about 36 litres to 31 litres in months with big increases.
• Purchases under 20 litres made up about 36% of transactions in 2026, up from 25% in 2025.
• Between the 25th and month-end, in months with big price moves, small purchases reach nearly 40% of transactions, compared with about 20% normally.
• Average monthly visits to a fuel station rose from 2.4 to just over three.

All figures: Discovery.

Discovery said the shift to smaller purchases happens whether prices are going up or down, which suggests drivers are timing fill-ups around price changes rather than only rushing in before a hike (Discovery).

Do drivers still panic-buy before a hike?

Some do. Before midnight on Tuesday, 6 October, petrol volumes surged 300% and diesel 400%. Ahead of the May increase, petrol purchases were up 300% and diesel 450%, against about 200% for a typical hike (BusinessTech).

Are South Africans driving less?

Only for a while. Trips fell 10% and kilometres travelled 9% in April. By May, people were travelling 9% less than before the increases, but driving went back to normal soon after. From June to September, trips and distances were slightly higher than in the same months of 2025 (BusinessTech).

After the October hike, trips fell another 6% and kilometres 7%. What people cut was leisure travel: long-distance trips dropped 30% over winter, while daily commuting barely changed (BusinessTech).

"There's a difference between buying less fuel and needing less fuel," Discovery said, noting that school runs and getting to work aren't optional (BusinessTech).

Is any relief coming?

A small one. Petrol is projected to drop by roughly 23c to 49c a litre and diesel by about R1.57 to R1.68 on Wednesday, 4 November, helped by Treasury's temporary fuel levy cut. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources still has to confirm the official numbers (BusinessTech, Reported).