- A Tshwane single mother broke down in her car after paying R30.25 per litre for petrol, filming her reaction for TikTok
- The clip caught fire online as South Africans across the country recognised the financial pressure she was describing
- Commenters from Australia and the UK also weighed in, comparing their own fuel costs to what South Africans are now paying
Source: TikTok
A Tshwane woman known on TikTok as @randomtingzlikepoetry posted a raw, unfiltered video on 10 October 2026 that quickly resonated with thousands of South Africans. Sitting in her parked car near a broken traffic light, she held her phone up and let it all out.
"I just paid 30 rand 25 cents per litre for petrol," she said, visibly shaken. "How the freak am I supposed to survive as a single mom? It's four litres of petrol, 150 rand. That's what I had."
She addressed South African leadership directly in the clip on her TikTok page, calling out "Mister Cupcake" as she vented her frustration.
"They killing us, South Africa," she said, briefly laughing before returning to disbelief.
Petrol prices cross a historic threshold
The video did not come out of nowhere. South Africa's petrol price has crossed R30 per litre, with 95 unleaded petrol sitting at R30.25 in Gauteng following a sharp R3.33 per litre increase. According to reports, the surge is largely tied to rising Brent crude oil prices, which climbed from an average of $87.89 to $101 per barrel, driven by US-Iran tensions and tighter global oil supply through the Strait of Hormuz.
Adding to the pressure, a government fuel tax relief that previously reduced prices by up to R3.00 per litre was fully phased out by the end of June. Motorists now carry the full weight of a R4.10 per litre General Fuel Levy and a R2.48 per litre Road Accident Fund levy, with total government taxes sitting at roughly R6.58 per litre. A cumulative slate levy deficit of R10.45 billion for petrol and diesel has further pushed up the basic fuel price.
Watch her video below:
South Africans and the world react
@Ash155🇿🇦 said:
"Your swearing is heavily justified, my auntie."
@Lumen wrote:
"How is 1 litre of petrol more than our minimum wage? How are people expected to survive? Our world is broken."
@Njabulo joked:
"'Zuma must go' 'Zuma must go' 'Zuma must go' 'Zuma must goooooo go' kunjani manje [how is it now]."
@Magezi shared:
"I used to think that white people in SA don't feel this economic pressure until I saw this video. All South Africans must protest; enough is enough. Yesterday a guy at the garage told me next month will be worse; probably we might pay close to R35 a litre."
@IanW noted:
"We are paying $3.25 a litre here in Australia; that's R32. It's the same all over the world."
@Streaming pointed out:
"Diesel owners have it worse."
@Zane Black added:
"People still believe the govt controls fuel prices. We have a long way to go."
More on petrol prices in South Africa
- Briefly News recently reported on what South Africans are cutting back on as fuel prices keep rising, from ditching red meat to swapping cars for scooters.
- A South African living abroad shared a funny petrol station moment that fellow expats could not stop relating to.
- A petrol attendant made a desperate appeal for help after a truck driver allegedly filled up thousands of litres and drove off without paying.
Source: Briefly News
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