- Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a temporary fuel levy reduction during his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement
- The relief comes as the country experiences record-high fuel prices, with inland 95 petrol having surpassed R30 per litre for the first time
- South Africans responded to the announcement with scepticism, arguing the cuts do not go far enough to address the issue
Source: Getty Images
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has spent a decade reporting on South Africa's political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online journalism.
WESTERN CAPE — Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced a temporary reduction in the general fuel levy during his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement on 21 October 2026, offering motorists some relief ahead of the festive season.
The levy will be cut by R3 per litre on diesel and R1.50 per litre on petrol from 4 November to 1 December 2026. A smaller reduction — R1.50 per litre for diesel and R1 per litre for petrol — will remain in effect until 5 January 2027, starting on 2 December 2026.
How the R10 billion relief package is funded
Godongwana noted that the government earmarked R10 billion for the relief measure, funded through the reallocation of prior revenue overruns from the Central Energy Fund rather than new budget expenditure.
The announcement comes as fuel prices in South Africa have reached record highs, driven by Brent crude surges linked to Middle East conflicts and mounting cost-of-living pressures.
Current regulated retail prices, effective from 7 October 2026, show inland 95 ULP petrol at R30.25 per litre and coastal at R29.38 per litre — the first time the inland price has exceeded R30 per litre. Diesel wholesale prices range from approximately R31.95 to R33.29 per litre depending on grade and region, with pump prices typically higher than these figures.
South Africans unconvinced by the relief
The announcement drew a muted reception from the public.
@TheHlubiRoyal wrote:
"Basically prices won't change."
@Omgitssamuel said:
"R1.50; this government is a joke."
@SonoChristopher commented:
"That's not good enough."
@mjimero added:
"This is still nothing as compared to neighbouring countries; they need to go below R20 p/l."
@DannyMalesela1 argued:
"R1.50 still doesn't make any difference. They increased it by more than that."
@BMamkhize wrote:
"Must we celebrate that, batong? Phela, the increase was the 10th one. If it can go back to less than R20, then we have something to celebrate."
President Cyril Ramaphosa discusses fuel price relief
Briefly News also highlighted facts about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s consideration of further fuel-price relief.
The government spent about R24 billion on a previous fuel subsidy, while Parliament has advanced a proposed R10 billion allocation for debate.
Any new relief could mean taking money from other state programmes in an effort to prevent rising costs from putting pressure on households and businesses.
Source: Briefly News
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