Johannesburg – The South African government has announced a temporary R3-per-litre cut in the general fuel levy for both petrol and diesel,.
The move, effective from Wednesday 1 April 2026, was aimed at reducing the impact of what would have been one of the biggest single-month price increases in years.
Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced the relief measure on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, after consultations between the National Treasury and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to explore measures to provide short-term relief to consumers, while maintaining a stable and sustainable fuel supply system..
The decision comes as global oil prices have surged because of conflict in the Middle East, pushing April petrol prices up by more than R5 a litre and diesel by more than R9 a litre before any government action.
The levy cut will reduce the expected pump price shock by roughly 60 percent for motorists and businesses.
It mirrors the R1.50-a-litre reduction granted in 2022 during the Russia-Ukraine war.
The relief will last at least until the end of May, after which the Treasury will review the situation.
It came after President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the government could not allow the full brunt of international price movements to hit households and the economy.
“We have instructed the Minister of Finance and his colleagues to address this matter and develop solutions,” President Ramaphosa told reporters on Sunday, 29 March 2026.
The move has drawn cautious welcome from consumer groups and politcal parties.
The Automobile Association said any relief was better than none, but warned that food prices and transport costs would still rise.
The Democratic Alliance (DA), which had called for a 50 percent cut in both the general fuel levy and the Road Accident Fund levy, said the R3 reduction was “a step in the right direction but falls short of what is needed”.
AfriForum welcomed the announcement by the finance minister that the government will reduce the fuel levy to help cushion the impact of surging oil prices as the conflict in the Middle East continues.
Together with political parties and other orgnisations, MISA, the Motor Industry Staff Association, had earlier called on the government to urgently implement a temporary reduction in fuel levies to protect workers and their families from the devastating impact of rising fuel prices.
The levy cut will cost the fiscus several billion rand in revenue, but officials say the broader economic damage of unchecked fuel inflation would have been greater.
Official fuel prices will be announced by the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources later on Tuesday.
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