South African motorists continue to cut back on fuel purchases and driving as the impact of consecutive fuel price increases takes hold, according to data from Discovery Insure published on 1 June 2026.
Telematics and fuel card transactions from more than 200 000 Discovery Insure clients show that motorists bought 23% less fuel in May, while fuel transactions dropped by 17%, compared with January and February.
Discovery Insure’s earlier analysis showed that litres purchased in April dropped by 35%, while fuel transactions declined by 28% following the initial fuel price increase.
Read: Motorists cut fuel use after April price shock
South Africans also drove 9% less compared with before the fuel price increases – 5.7% less in April and a further 3.6% less in May, suggesting that many motorists have already cut back as much as practically possible.
“These are not normal fluctuations,” said Robert Attwell, the chief executive of Discovery Insure. “When compared to the past few years, we rarely see fluctuations of more than 1% in fuel demand and driving behaviour. What we are seeing now reflects the real financial pressure people are under.
“Despite driving less and buying less fuel, overall spending is 15% higher compared to January and February. Simply put, motorists are spending more money and getting less fuel for it.”
These changes in driving behaviour follow consecutive fuel price increases implemented in April and May, which have put pressure on household budgets. According to Statistics South Africa, fuel prices rose by 18.2% month-on-month in April – the steepest monthly increase since the current CPI fuel index series began in 2008. Petrol prices increased by 15.2%, while diesel prices surged by 35.4%, contributing to headline inflation accelerating from 3.1% in March to 4% in April.
The South African Reserve Bank’s Monetary Policy Committee increased the repo rate by 25 basis points last week, citing inflationary pressure.
“South Africans are not just making short-term changes but are rethinking their driving habits over the long term as pressure on household budgets continues to grow,” said Attwell.
Diesel drivers made the biggest changes
Motorists with diesel vehicles cut back the most, driving 10.9% less in May – the steepest decline across all vehicle types analysed. In comparison, petrol vehicle drivers collectively reduced their driving distance by 8.9%.
The analysis also found that female drivers travelled 9.5% less, while men travelled 8.6% less.
Drivers 20 to 30 showed the least change in driving habits, reducing their driving by 6.8%. In comparison:
- Drivers aged 30 to 40 drove 7.6% less.
- Drivers aged 40 to 50 drove 9.6% less.
- Drivers aged 50 to 60 drove 10% less.
“Conventional thinking would suggest that younger drivers would cut back the most because they generally have lower disposable incomes. Instead, what the data implies is that younger drivers may have fewer alternatives when it comes to getting to work, making it harder to reduce travel even when fuel becomes more expensive,” said Attwell.
The distance travelled by motorists in the Western Cape declined by 15%. The Northern Cape followed at 14%, while the Eastern Cape recorded a 10% decline.
Limpopo showed the smallest shift at 2.6%, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 5.5%, and Gauteng at 6.6%.
