Fuel price at the coast vs inland: what the zone gap costs
The fuel price at the coast is lower than inland: petrol 95 costs R29.37 a litre in Durban or Cape Town against R30.24 in Gauteng this month, a gap of +87c.
Example: 150 litres a month· change a figure to see yours
Paid more in Gauteng than at the coast
R1,566 a year
+87c a litre: R30.24 against R29.37
| A month | R131 |
| A 50-litre tank | R44 |
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimate is made
South Africa sets one regulated petrol price per magisterial zone, and the cheapest zones are the coastal ones where fuel is imported or refined: Durban, Cape Town, Gqeberha and the towns next to them. Moving fuel inland by pipeline, rail and road adds a zone differential that grows with distance, and Gauteng, the largest inland market, is the reference zone of the Central Energy Fund statements. Since 4 November 2026, petrol 95 costs R30.24 a litre in Gauteng and R29.37 at the coast, a gap of +87c. On 500 ppm diesel the wholesale gap is +87c, on paraffin +105c. For a driver who buys 150 litres a month, living inland costs about R1,566 more a year. Towns between the coast and Gauteng pay a price in between, set by their own zone. The gap was +79c in April 2024: it moves only when transport tariffs are reviewed, not with oil.
Fuel price at the coast vs inland, fuel by fuel
The Central Energy Fund statements give two prices for each fuel: Gauteng, which stands for the inland market, and the coast. Other zones are published in the Department’s zone tables; they fall between these two, depending on distance from a port or refinery and on the pipeline route.
| Fuel | Gauteng | Coast | Gap | On a 50-litre tank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol 95 | R30.24 | R29.37 | +87c | R44 |
| Diesel 500 ppm (wholesale) | R30.86 | R29.98 | +87c | R44 |
| Paraffin (wholesale) | R27.22 | R26.17 | +105c | R53 |
| LPG (maximum, per kg) | R39.64 | R36.39 | +325c | not sold by the litre |
Where the gap comes from
The regulated price is the same formula everywhere: landed cost, taxes and levies, margins, storage and distribution. Only one line differs: the zone differential, which pays for moving the fuel from the coast to the zone. In Gauteng it is +91c a litre on petrol and diesel and +109c on paraffin, according to Annexure 1. The coastal zone carries a much smaller amount, which is why the published gap is a little under the Gauteng differential.
Because every other line is identical, the monthly change is the same at the coast and inland. When the December estimate says 95 falls by +232c, it falls by +232c in Durban as well as in Johannesburg. The litre breakdown shows each line of the formula.
One tank at the coast
Example: a 50-litre tank in coast· change a figure to see yours
50 litres of petrol 95, coast
R1,469
at R29.37 a litre (pump price until 1 December 2026)
| Same tank from 2 December 2026 (estimate) | R1,353 |
| Difference per tank | -R116 |
| Four tanks a month | R5,874 |
What the gap adds up to
For a commuter in Pretoria or Johannesburg who buys 150 litres of 95 a month, the zone gap is R131 a month, R1,566 a year. A diesel delivery bakkie doing 3,000 litres a month pays about R2,616 more a month inland than the same vehicle based at the coast. Households heating with paraffin pay the widest gap per litre, +105c, but the single maximum retail price of paraffin is national, so at the shop the gap shows up only below that ceiling.
A trip to the coast does not save much on a single tank: R44 on 50 litres of 95. Filling up before driving back inland is worth it only if you were stopping anyway. For a monthly budget in your own zone, the cost per kilometre page uses the Gauteng or coastal price you choose.