Africa-Press – South-Africa. An analysis of diesel prices in Gauteng over the last two weeks showed that they fluctuate significantly from one filling station to the next.
It further showed that many filling stations either stopped selling diesel or significantly increased prices before the new rates kicked in on Wednesday, 1 April 2026.
On 1 April 2026, the price of petrol increased by R3.06 a litre and the price of diesel by R7.51 per litre. It could have been much worse.
On 31 March 2026, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a temporary reduction of the General Fuel Levy (GFL) from 1 April until 5 May 2026.
Before this announcement, everyone was expecting a R6.00 per litre increase in petrol prices and a R10.51 increase in diesel prices.
In South Africa, the wholesale and retail prices for petrol are strictly regulated. This is why every petrol station in a specific zone charges the same price.
With diesel, only the wholesale price is regulated. Filling stations are allowed to set their own margins, which is why diesel prices vary across stations.
The unique situation in March 2026, where the conflict in Iran caused a big increase in oil prices and weakened the rand, saw many petrol stations capitalise.
As demand for diesel rose amid anticipated price increases, filling stations raised prices or even stopped selling diesel altogether.
Daily Investor received reports that some filling stations had raised their prices to R33 per litre, up from the usual R21.
Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt defended fuel station owners’ decision to stop selling diesel or increase prices ahead of the price increases.
“It is the reality of life. They are looking out for their own interests, like motorists filling up their cars ahead of a steep price increase. Don’t blame them,” he said.
“The reality is that there is a scarcity and an increase in fuel prices, and the filling stations are doing what any rational person would have done.”
Daily Investor analysis of diesel prices in Gauteng
Daily Investor visited numerous filling stations in Gauteng before and after the big price increases on 1 April 2026.
Gauteng’s filling station industry is highly competitive, which means that one would not expect a big difference in diesel prices from one station to the next.
However, this was not the case. The week before anticipated increases, the price of a litre of diesel fluctuated between R20.97 and R27.50.
After the price increase on 1 April 2026, the difference between one filling station and the next was much smaller.
The price for a litre of diesel at the filling stations, which Daily Investor visited, ranged between R28.11 and R31.32.
This showed that the difference between the highest and lowest price before 1 April 2026 was R6.53. After the price increased, the difference shrank to R3.21.
This is explained by the decline in diesel demand after 1 April 2026 and by less certainty about the next price increase in May 2026.
However, should there be another big price increase on Wednesday, 6 May 2026, motorists should expect the same scenario to play out as before.
Diesel prices before 1 April 2026
Filling StationLocationPriceShellMuckleneukR20.97MBTWaterkloofR21.19EngenGroenkloofR21.20BPDely RoadR21.34SasolMidstream EstateR21.61BPElardus ParkR21.98Total EnergiesMenlynR22.67Astron EnergyMoreletta ParkR25.64Total EnergiesDouglasdaleR27.50
Diesel prices after 1 April 2026
StationLocationPriceBPIreneR28.11MBTLynwoodR28.40Astron EnergyLynwoodR28.94Total EnergiesMoreletta ParkR29.01EngenJohn VorsterR29.05Astron EnergyMoreletta ParkR29.15EngenMidstreamR29.19EngenErasmuskloofR29.49Total EnergiesIllovoR31.32
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