The rising cost of fuel is putting additional pressure on South Africans who drive to work every day, with a typical diesel commuter spending more than R18,000 on fuel during the first nine months of 2026.
BusinessTech calculated the estimated cost using driving data from Discovery and average fuel-consumption figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Discovery data shows that its clients drive about 1,100km a month on average and spend approximately 35 hours in their vehicles.
The figures are collected through telematics technology connected to the Vitality Drive programme, which has more than 295,000 active vehicles covered by Discovery Insure.
The IEA estimates that passenger cars in South Africa consume an average of 7.4 litres of fuel per 100km. Based on that figure, a driver covering 1,100km a month would use about 81.4 litres of petrol or diesel.
That fuel requirement has become significantly more expensive at various points during 2026 as local prices responded to international oil markets, geopolitical developments and movements in the rand.
Petrol and diesel costs fluctuate sharply
Petrol started the year at R20.75 per litre before declining slightly to R20.10 in February.
Prices subsequently climbed, reaching R28.06 per litre in June. They eased to R25.58 in July and August before rising again to R26.92 in September.
For a driver using 81.4 litres a month, that translated into a monthly petrol bill of approximately R1,689.05 in January and R2,191.29 in September.
The difference was R502.24 a month, while the estimated petrol cost for the first nine months reached R17,728.91.
Diesel prices were even more volatile.
The fuel started January at R18.52 per litre before surging during April and May. The price reached R31.88 per litre in May, before falling to R25.67 in July and rising again to R30.05 in September.
For an 81.4-litre monthly user, the difference between the lowest and highest monthly fuel costs during the period was approximately R1,133.
By September, the estimated monthly diesel cost was R938.54 higher than at the beginning of the year. Total diesel expenditure for the first nine months was calculated at R18,310.11.
The outlook for October could add further pressure.
At the time of the report, Central Energy Fund (CEF) data pointed to a potential petrol increase of between R2.47 and R2.62 per litre. Diesel was showing a possible increase of between R2.42 and R2.81 per litre.
If those indications materialised, petrol could rise to around R29.54 per litre, while 0.005% diesel could reach approximately R32.86 per litre.
The figures illustrate how changes in fuel prices can have a direct effect on workers who depend on private vehicles for their daily commute.
Employers urged to consider commuting pressures
The impact of fuel costs is also becoming relevant to employers as companies review employee benefits and workplace arrangements.
Lindiwe Sebesho, managing director of remuneration and workforce research consultancy Remchannel, said fuel and broader living costs should be considered when businesses assess their employee value proposition.
Remchannel research found that 77% of surveyed employers had not introduced additional flexibility in response to rising fuel prices or cost-of-living pressures.
Sebesho said some organisations continued to associate productivity with employees being physically present at work, even though performance can increasingly be assessed through outputs and results.
For employees whose roles can be performed remotely, greater flexibility could reduce the need for daily commuting.
Workers whose jobs require them to be physically present could also benefit from measures such as flexible start and finish times or shift-swapping where operationally possible.
Employers could additionally consider targeted transport assistance or company-funded transport for workers who have no practical alternative to commuting.
Sebesho cautioned, however, that businesses also have financial constraints and should test different measures before making permanent commitments.
She suggested piloting workplace initiatives and monitoring employee uptake before deciding whether they should become permanent.
The objective, she said, should be to support workers while ensuring that businesses remain financially sustainable.
For South African employees who rely on private vehicles, the cost of getting to work is increasingly becoming part of the broader cost-of-living equation. For employers, the challenge is finding practical ways to respond without creating unsustainable long-term costs.