Oil Price South Africa Today — Live Rand per Litre
Live Brent crude in ZAR (South African Rand) per barrel and estimated per litre. South Africa imports all crude oil. DMRE sets fuel prices monthly. Updated every minute.
South Africa Oil Price — ZAR per Barrel & Litre (Live)
| Measure | ZAR (Live) | USD (ref) | Change 24h |
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Note: The per-litre price above shows the international crude cost component only (Brent ÷ 158.987 litres per barrel × USD/ZAR). DMRE-regulated retail petrol prices include additional levies (Fuel Levy ~R3.90/L, RAF Levy ~R2.18/L), dealer margins, and other charges — making actual pump prices substantially higher than the crude cost component shown here.
South Africa — 100% Oil Import Dependent
South Africa has no meaningful conventional crude oil production. Despite being Africa's most industrialised economy and home to the world's dominant platinum mining sector, South Africa must import 100% of its crude oil requirements from the Middle East, West Africa, and other global suppliers. This complete import dependence makes the South African fuel price acutely sensitive to both global crude prices and the USD/ZAR exchange rate.
- DMRE (Department of Mineral Resources and Energy): The South African government department that regulates fuel prices. The DMRE announces monthly retail price adjustments for petrol (93 and 95 octane), diesel (0.005% and 0.05% sulphur), and illuminating paraffin on the first Wednesday of each month, effective from midnight.
- Basic Fuel Price (BFP): The core of South Africa's fuel pricing formula. The BFP is based on the cost of importing refined petroleum products from the Mediterranean and Singapore markets (the international refined product price) plus freight, insurance, and port costs — all converted to ZAR. The BFP moves monthly based on a trailing average of international prices and the ZAR exchange rate.
- Fuel Levy: A fixed government tax per litre (currently over R3.90/L for petrol) that does not change with the oil price. This levy funds general government revenue and does not directly relate to fuel or road costs.
- Road Accident Fund (RAF) Levy: Currently approximately R2.18/L, dedicated to funding the Road Accident Fund which compensates victims of motor vehicle accidents. Also a fixed per-litre charge independent of crude prices.
Sasol — South Africa's Coal-to-Liquid Energy Giant
While South Africa cannot produce conventional oil, it is home to the world's largest coal-to-liquids (CTL) facility at Sasol's Secunda plant in Mpumalanga. Using the Fischer-Tropsch process developed in the 1920s and commercialised by Sasol in the 1950s, the Secunda plant converts coal to liquid hydrocarbons — producing petrol, diesel, jet fuel, and a range of chemicals.
Sasol's Secunda CTL plant supplies approximately 35% of South Africa's liquid fuel requirements, providing a significant degree of domestic energy security despite the absence of conventional oil. However, the plant is also one of the world's single largest point sources of CO₂ emissions, creating growing environmental and regulatory pressure under South Africa's climate commitments.
Sasol also operates a major gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility in Ras Laffan, Qatar (in a joint venture with Qatar Petroleum), producing specialty fuels and chemicals from Qatari natural gas. This international operation connects Sasol to global energy markets beyond South Africa's domestic coal base.
Rand and the Fuel Price — The Double Exposure
South African motorists face double exposure to fuel price increases: both the international crude oil price (in USD) and the USD/ZAR exchange rate affect the ZAR fuel price simultaneously. When both USD crude prices rise and the Rand weakens, the ZAR fuel price can increase dramatically — as experienced in 2022 when global oil prices surged following the Russia-Ukraine war while the Rand weakened simultaneously.
The Rand's volatility as an emerging market currency amplifies fuel price instability. During global risk-off events (the 2008 financial crisis, COVID-19 in 2020), the Rand typically weakens significantly — which can raise ZAR fuel prices even during periods when USD crude prices are falling. South African fuel prices are therefore more volatile than fuel prices in countries with more stable currencies.