petrol price february R20 per litre

Image via ANA

Huge petrol price decrease in May: Here’s what it should cost to fill your tank

A plunging petrol price is always welcomed for the motorists of Mzansi, but of course, the cruel irony is that we’re not allowed to go very far.

petrol price february R20 per litre

Image via ANA

It feels like we’re all dressed up with nowhere to go. For the second time in two months, the petrol price in South Africa is set to fall dramatically. But under current lockdown restrictions, there are few places we can drive to. This latest forecast would see more than R3.50 wiped off the per-litre costs since the end of March.

Confirmed petrol price for May 2020

We might be unable to do much, but you can still buy petrol and diesel, as it is a designated “essential service”. There’s no need to rush to the pumps – these estimated prices from the Central Energy Fund will be fixed until June, once they’re officially confirmed by the government. The next time you need to fill-up, you’re looking at some pretty generous offerings:

  • Petrol: Decrease of R1.74 per litre
  • Diesel: Decrease of R1.51 per litre.
  • Paraffin: Decrease of R1.40 cents per litre.


Subtracting these totals from the April fuel price gives us the following average cost-per-litre for petrol and diesel. These prices are forecast to come into effect from next week onwards:

FuelInlandCoastalDifference
PetrolR12.22R11.52Down by R1.74
DieselR11.18R10.58Down by R1.51

Why is the petrol price dropping in May?

Two words: Oil crash. The price of WTI oil went into negative territory for the first time, meaning that the substance was actually worth so little, that the cost to store it outweighed the price of selling it on. An enormous drop in demand sent the market into freefall.

One can only imagine the petrol paradise we’d be strolling in if the rand was a bit healthier. ZAR has staged something of a recovery recently, but its performance against the US dollar has been terrible – it even plunged through the $1 : R19 barrier in just a few weeks ago. But the devastation caused to the oil industry far outweighs the lag in our exchange rates and international financial performances.

Diesel and petrol price for April – filling up in coastal regions:

Motor Vehicles and Bakkies

Average capacity: 45 litres
Cost for a full tank of petrol: 
R518.40
Cost for a full tank of diesel: 
R476.10

Mini Buses / Taxis

Average capacity: 75 litres
Cost for a full tank of petrol:
 R864
Cost for a full tank of diesel: 
R793.50

Buses and Trucks

Average capacity: 250 litres
Cost for a full tank of diesel: 
R2 645

Motorcycles

Average capacity: 20 litres
Cost for a full tank of petrol: 
R230.40
Cost for a full tank of diesel: 
R211.60

Diesel and petrol price for April – Filling up inland

Motor Vehicles and Bakkies

Average capacity: 45 litres
Cost for a full tank of petrol:
 R549.90
Cost for a full tank of diesel:
 R503.10

Mini Buses / Taxis

Average capacity: 75 litres
Cost for a full tank of petrol: 
R916.50
Cost for a full tank of diesel: 
R838.50

Buses and Trucks

Average capacity: 250 litres
Cost for a full tank of diesel: 
 R2 795

Motorcycles

Average capacity: 20 litres
Cost for a full tank of petrol: 
R244.40
Cost for a full tank of diesel:
 R223.60