Diesel price in South Africa for mining: September 2026
South Africa's wholesale 0.05% diesel price from 2 September 2026: 2,911.11 c/l in Gauteng, 2,823.91 c/l at the coast, up 293.90 c/l. 2026 history.
Contents 7 sections
From 2 September 2026 the official wholesale price of 0.05% sulphur diesel is 2,911.11 cents a litre in Gauteng and 2,823.91 cents at the coast, 293.90 cents up on August. The 0.005% sulphur grade rose 314.90 cents to 2,955.51 cents a litre inland and 2,868.31 cents at the coast (DMPR media statement and September price documents, read 25 Sep 2026).
The October 2026 adjustment had not been published when this was written. The current price period runs from 2 September to 6 October 2026 (CEF press release, 28 August 2026).
September 2026 wholesale diesel prices
| Grade | Gauteng (zone 9C) | Coast (zone 1A) | Change from August |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel 0.05% sulphur | 2,911.11 c/l | 2,823.91 c/l | +293.90 c/l |
| Diesel 0.005% sulphur | 2,955.51 c/l | 2,868.31 c/l | +314.90 c/l |
c/l is cents per litre. The zone prices come from the DMPR fuel price schedule for September. The CEF release applies the same change “in Gauteng and coast”. In August the 0.005% grade was 2,640.61 c/l inland and 2,553.41 c/l at the coast (August documents).
Why the diesel price went up
The DMPR’s statement sets out what moved the price. The average Brent crude price rose from 82.37 to 87.85 US dollars, which the DMPR puts down to US and Iran tensions, uncertainty over oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz and higher shipping costs. International product prices rose on supply shortages and lower global inventories. A stronger rand, 16.26 to the dollar against 16.46, took part of the increase back. The slate levy went up 21.90 c/l to 83.28 c/l to work down a R9.519 billion slate deficit.
Diesel prices in 2026 so far
Wholesale 0.05% sulphur diesel, from the DMPR history of fuel prices. The change column is the difference between the published levels.
| Month | Gauteng (c/l) | Change | Coast (c/l) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1,841.83 | 1,758.53 | ||
| Feb | 1,791.83 | -50.00 | 1,708.53 | -50.00 |
| Mar | 1,853.83 | +62.00 | 1,770.53 | +62.00 |
| Apr | 2,590.83 | +737.00 | 2,503.63 | +733.10 |
| May | 3,117.53 | +526.70 | 3,030.33 | +526.70 |
| Jun | 2,792.57 | -324.96 | 2,705.37 | -324.96 |
| Jul | 2,478.77 | -313.80 | 2,391.57 | -313.80 |
| Aug | 2,617.21 | +138.44 | 2,530.01 | +138.44 |
| Sep | 2,911.11 | +293.90 | 2,823.91 | +293.90 |
The May row uses the corrected figures. The DMPR’s first May calculation captured the extra 93 c/l levy cut on diesel as 0.93 c/l, so its first May history file showed 3,209.60 c/l inland, an increase of R6.19 a litre. An erratum put the increase at R5.27 (DMPR erratum, May 2026), which matches the history file used here.
April to June included temporary cuts to the general fuel levy on diesel. The levy fell from 393 c/l to 93 c/l on 1 April and to nil on 6 May. It rose to 197 c/l on 3 June and returned to the full 393 c/l on 1 July (SARS tariff amendments 2026; National Treasury, 28 April 2026). The September price carries the full levy.
What it does to your diesel bill
Litres per tonne comes from fuel issues recorded against each machine and its output, the subject of a piece on linking fuel use to production and cost.
Your price is not the wholesale list price
The DMPR says the diesel retail price “is not regulated, but a wholesale list price is published” (fuel price structure). The September schedule starts from a basic list price of 2,820.01 c/l and adds a zone differential: 3.9 c/l in zone 1A and 91.1 c/l in Gauteng, zone 9C. Your supply contract sets what the site pays.
Where the diesel qualifies, the mining user can claim a refund of 382.2 c/l on eligible litres from 1 July 2026. How the diesel refund changed in 2026 covers who can claim it.
Common questions
What is the wholesale diesel price in Gauteng in September 2026?
2,911.11 cents a litre for 0.05% sulphur diesel and 2,955.51 cents a litre for 0.005% sulphur diesel (inland), from 2 September 2026, according to the DMPR.
When does the diesel price change next?
The current price period runs from 2 September to 6 October 2026, according to the CEF release for September, so the next adjustment is due from Wednesday 7 October 2026. The DMPR announces each change a few days before it takes effect.
Is the wholesale list price what a mine site pays?
Not necessarily. The DMPR publishes a wholesale list price for diesel but the retail price is not regulated, and each magisterial zone carries its own differential. Supply contracts set the price a site actually pays.
Sources
- Media statement: fuel price adjustments effective from 2 September 2026, DMPR, 31 August 2026.
- Fuel price adjustment documents, September 2026 (breakdown of prices, history of fuel prices, fuel price schedule, CEF press release of 28 August 2026), DMPR and CEF.
- Fuel price adjustment documents, August 2026, DMPR and CEF.
- Fuel prices, DMPR.
- Fuel price structure, DMPR.
- Erratum: fuel price adjustments effective from 6 May 2026, DMPR, with the updated history of fuel prices for May 2026.
- National Treasury on extension of short-term relief measures to address fuel price increases, 28 April 2026.
- Tariff amendments 2026, SARS.
