R65 a litre for petrol?
SADC is home to two of the priciest countries for fuel in the world following the wild spikes since the start of the Iran war.
Despite the plethora of taxes and levies in our fuel price, South Africans are paying around 8% less ($1.363 per litre) than the global average price of 95 octane petrol ($1.48 per litre).
However, according to the excellent Global Petrol Prices website, when it comes to diesel, we’re paying $1.702 per litre – roughly 8% more than the global average of $1.58.
Notably, the impact of the temporary R3 per litre reduction in the general fuel levy will have also had a substantial impact. Without this, our petrol would be 4% pricier than the global average, while diesel would be 19% higher.
Home to the world’s second-most expensive petrol prices
In rand terms, our base price of R22.93 a litre (at the coast) is roughly in line with most Southern African Customs Union (SACU) nations, but their taxes and levies differ.
In other Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries, prices vary widely, with one country – major producer Angola – having the fourth cheapest petrol in the world (R5.502 per litre), and two others among the priciest:
Zimbabwe’s average petrol price is R37.504, while in Malawi you will pay an eye-watering R64.70 per litre!
This is the second most-expensive globally, after Hong Kong at R69.517.
Petrol prices in other African countries
There is a massive gap between these two outliers (besides the ‘standard’ list of taxes in the price, Malawi has also had to add a charge per litre to cover supplier debt) and most of Europe where prices range between R30 a litre (Spain) and R45 a litre (the Netherlands).
SADC fuel prices:
Angola R5.502
Botswana R22.268
DRC R17.688
eSwatini R19.378
Lesotho R23.20
Madagascar R19.783
Malawi R64.70
Mauritius R20.906
Mozambique R21.905
Namibia R21.974
Seychelles R23.559
Tanzania R24.712
Zambia R23.562
Zimbabwe R37.504
* No price tracked for Comoros
Importantly, the prices tracked by the site are not adjusted for purchasing power parity.
This means that R23 per litre for South Africans is a lot more ‘expensive’ than the R24-odd a litre paid in South Korea, given the earning power and living costs of the average citizen.
Similarly, the nearly R25 a litre paid in Tanzania is a lot more ‘expensive’ for its average citizen than our price, despite the difference of ‘only’ R2.
Price of Brent crude
According to the site, the price of Brent crude is up by an average of nearly 60% since 23 February, when the Iran war (or ‘military operation’) began rattling global oil markets.
Prices of refined petroleum products, diesel, gas and energy products are fast catching up, but the former two are up by an average of 26% and 32%, globally.
The site, which tracks prices across 150 individual countries (and has been doing so for over a decade – well before the Iran war), says “typically, prices in countries with liberalised fuel markets adjust more rapidly”.
“It usually takes a couple of weeks for retail prices to respond to an oil price shock.
“The effect tends to be larger in countries with lower excise taxes, such as the United States, compared to countries with higher excise taxes, as in much of Europe.
“Governments in countries with regulated prices often wait several weeks to determine whether the oil price change is permanent before adjusting retail prices. If the shock is large, governments may also intervene to suppress a price increase.”
Petrol prices in New Zealand
Spare a thought for friends and family who have emigrated to New Zealand.
Given its sheer distance from global producers and refineries, petrol prices there are 36% higher than the global average, while diesel is 19% above the average. Since the start of the war, its petrol prices are up 32%, while diesel has soared more than 76%.
In South Africa, the price of petrol is 17% higher, while diesel has spiked 38%. The fuel levy reduction has shielded us significantly.
Diesel prices in other parts of the world
The largest percentage increases of diesel have been in South-East Asia, with six countries (Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, Cambodia and Malaysia) seeing prices at least double.
In Laos, diesel prices are up 169.5% in just six weeks.
Petrol price increases globally have been more ‘sedate’, with those same countries still leading the pack, but with increases of between 39% (Vietnam) and 93.9% (Myanmar).
In the US, gasoline prices are up, on average, by 35% – something that has no doubt focused the mind of President Donald Trump somewhat, given that mid-term elections are little over six months away …
* All prices as at 6 April 2026.
This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
