Many motorists cut back on their spending at the pumps in April following a record fuel price increase, with more pain coming on Wednesday, 6 May.
In April, petrol climbed by R3.06 per litre, while diesel rose by R7.51 per litre, a record increase for the latter, despite the National Treasury offering a R3 reprieve from the general fuel levy.
Data from Discovery Insure’s telematics and fuel-reward card swipes from over 200,000 clients showed that South Africans bought 35% less fuel in April as a result.
The analysis also showed that fuel transactions declined by 28% over the same period, while driving behaviour also shifted.
Trips taken were down 10%, and the total distance travelled dropped by 9%. Even when discounting the Easter weekend from 3 to 6 April 2026, trips and distance travelled were still down by 8%.
“The data shows a clear and immediate response to higher petrol prices,” says Robert Attwell, CEO of Discovery Insure.
“Consumers are tightening their belts by driving less, combining trips, and being more deliberate about when they use their cars.”
Attwell added that the behaviour change followed a sharp rise in activity just prior to the price increase.
“On 30 and 31 March, daily fuel transactions doubled compared to the rest of the month, while total spend on fuel rose by 81%, as drivers filled up ahead of the increase,” he said.
“This highlights how quickly people react. There was a strong push to fill up before the increase, driven by uncertainty, followed by a pullback as behaviour adjusted towards the end of the month.”
The CEO added that fuel spend began to pick up in the third week of April, indicating that while people responded quickly to manage costs, they began to find a balance.
Motorists are set for further pain on Wednesday, 6 May, with a R3.27 per litre increase in petrol prices and a R6.18 per litre increase in diesel prices.
Changes in how South Africans move
Discovery Bank’s latest SpendTrend26 also shows that fuel spend remains largely essential and non-discretionary.
The SpendTrend26 report showed that most fuel purchases are driven by daily routines such as commuting to work, school runs, and errands, meaning they are driven more by necessity and timing.
Fuel also accounts for the majority of transport costs, but alternative options are steadily growing. 58% of consumers said they were using ride-hailing services more than they did a year ago.
The use of e-hailing services rose to 70% of respondents among 18- to 30-year-olds. Convenience and time-saving remained the biggest drivers (54%).
However, users were also using e-hailing services for going out (48%), while rising fuel costs also played a role (35%).
Discovery Insure said that the data suggests that higher fuel prices are leading to less driving and encouraging a shift towards more flexible modes of transportation.
“What we are seeing is not just a reduction in driving as petrol prices increase, but an overall change in behaviour,” said Attwell.
“People are becoming more deliberate about how they move, whether that’s driving less, combining trips, or using alternatives where it makes sense.”
