South African motorists are heading into October facing the prospect of the most expensive petrol prices in the country’s history — and the latest numbers suggest the pain at the pumps could be even greater than initially expected. Data from the Central Energy Fund at the end of September shows an under-recovery of R3.12 a litre for 95 petrol and R2.93 for 93 petrol. If those figures were carried through to the final adjustment, petrol could rise by around R3 a litre, potentially pushing the price of 95 petrol to around or above the R30-a-litre mark. Diesel is also facing significant increases, with under-recoveries ranging between R2.73 and R3.13 a litre. And this comes after motorists have already endured a succession of fuel-price shocks this year. Petrol 95 reached a record R28.06 a
litre inland in June, before easing in July and August, only to climb again in September. So what does another R3 increase actually mean for the average South African household? How much more will it cost to fill a family car? What happens to people who have no choice but to drive to work every day? And with diesel prices also under pressure, could we see the impact spreading into the cost of taxis, buses, food deliveries and the goods sitting on supermarket shelves? Tonight, we unpack what is driving this latest fuel shock — and what South Africans should expect when they fill up in October.