August 2026 fuel prices have been confirmed. Diesel users are heading back to higher pump prices. The Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources (DMPR) confirmed increases of between R1.23 and R1.38 per litre.
The adjustments were announced on Monday and take effect on 5 August 2026.
The higher diesel prices follow a short-lived reprieve in June and July, when prices fell from historic highs. The relief lasted two months. It’s over now.
August 2026 fuel prices
Both grades of petrol will decrease by 52 cents per litre in August, but according to the DMPR, that drop will still leave inland and coastal prices above the R25-per-litre mark.
What is driving the diesel increase
The DMPR cited several factors behind the August adjustments. The average Brent crude oil price decreased from $86.53 to $82.37 during the period under review, which sounds like good news until you read the rest.
Renewed US-Iran tensions briefly pushed oil prices towards $100 a barrel. The impact was partially offset by sharp declines following the US-Iran ceasefire memorandum of understanding and weaker global crude demand.
The rand also worked against consumers. The currency depreciated slightly on average against the dollar, moving from R16.34 to R16.46 per dollar during the period under review.
According to the DMPR, this led to higher contributions to the basic fuel prices of petrol by 6.37 cents per litre, diesel by 8.14 cents per litre, and illuminating paraffin by 7.89 cents per litre.
The slate levy and what it means for your wallet
The DMPR also confirmed a change to the slate levy, a mechanism tied to the cumulative balance of fuel price over- and under-recoveries. The cumulative slate amounted to a negative balance of R7.418 billion for petrol and diesel at the end of June 2026.
“In line with the provisions of the self-adjusting slate levy mechanism, the slate levy of 61.38 c/l will be implemented in the price structures of petrol and diesel with effect from 5 August 2026,” the department said. The slate levy decreased from 113.94 to 61.38 cents per litre, a reduction of 52.56 cents per litre.
The average international product prices of petrol decreased during the period under review, while the prices of diesel and illuminating paraffin increased due to supply shortages.
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The full picture for other fuels
Illuminating paraffin takes a serious hit this month. The retail price increases by more than R2 per litre, with a R1.52 per litre increase at the wholesale level. For low-income households that rely on paraffin for cooking and lighting, this is not a footnote. It is the headline.
LPGas users get a different story entirely. The maximum retail price will decrease by R4.41 per kg countrywide and by R5.03 per kg in the Western Cape.
The August fuel price adjustments land on a population already navigating elevated pump prices. July’s reprieve came after months of historic highs, and this month’s diesel hike confirms that the relief was temporary. The R7.418 billion negative slate balance says the reckoning was always coming.
