COSATU warns fuel price hikes will push South Africans to the brink

South Africans will have to dig deeper into their pockets as fuel prices are set to increase from Wednesday, adding pressure on already stretched households.

Both grades of petrol will increase by R3,27 per litre, while diesel will rise by R6.19 per litre.

The department has attributed the increases partly to ongoing geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran, which have contributed to volatile global oil prices.

The latest hike follows increases in April, when petrol rose by R3.06 per litre and diesel by R7.37 per litre.

STATEMENT: THE MINISTER OF MINERAL AND PETROLEUM RESOURCES ANNOUNCES ADJUSTMENT OF FUEL PRICES EFFECTIVE FROM 6 MAY 2026. pic.twitter.com/sQRe7iLBWL

— Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources ‏ (@DMPR_ZA) May 4, 2026

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has warned that the hikes will have a devastating impact on workers, commuters and the broader economy.

“Workers who are already drowning in debt, supporting up to seven relatives each and spending an average of 40% of their meagre wages on transport, will not be able to continue to survive such painful petrol, diesel, gas and paraffin price hikes,” warned the federation.

More must be done to cushion workers and the economy from the massive fuel price hikes, declares #COSATU @SAfmRadio @SAReserveBank @Treasury_RSA @ParliamentofRSA @PresidencyZA @ewnupdates @Powerfm987 @Newzroom405 @SABCNews @JacaNewswatch @jozifm @AlexFMRadio891 @CapeTalk @IOL pic.twitter.com/yi8UFBTgCq

— @COSATU Today (@_cosatu) May 4, 2026

Government has since extended the fuel levy relief, including R3 per litre for petrol and varying relief for diesel, until early June in an effort to cushion consumers.

However, Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, said the relief will be phased out over two months.

“For June, the fuel levy will be half to phase out the relief before July. As a result, the amount of relief from the general fuel will be reduced to R1.50 per litre for petrol and R1.96 per litre for diesel, effective from Wednesday, 3 June 2026, to Tuesday, 30 June 2026. There will be no further relief from the 1st of July onwards,” said Godongwana.

COSATU welcomed the relief, but warned it is insufficient, arguing that the gradual withdrawal could deepen the cost-of-living crisis.

The federation has called for further interventions, including cheaper public transport, inflation-linked social grants, and stronger protections against rising food and energy costs.

COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks, said additional measures are urgently needed if global economic pressures persist.

“If this global economic crisis and Middle East conflict continues and inflation rises, government must intervene further including adjusting social grants for inflation, supporting food security, engaging Eskom on electricity pricing, and ensuring the Reserve Bank does not worsen conditions by increasing the repo rate,” he said.

COSATU also urged the private sector to assist through measures such as payment holidays and halting retrenchments, warning that without intervention, rising living costs will continue to squeeze workers and slow economic recovery.