Robert Attwell, CEO of Discovery Insure
South Africans bought 35% less fuel in April compared to March, according to new data from Discovery Insure. The analysis, based on telematics and fuel reward card swipes from over 200,000 clients, shows how motorists responded to the fuel price increase on 1 April, which saw petrol climb by R3,06 per litre and diesel by as much as R7,51 per litre.
The analysis also showed that fuel transactions dropped by 28% over the same period.
At the same time, driving behaviour also shifted. Trips taken were down 10%, and the total distance travelled dropped by 9%. Even when removing the Easter weekend (3 to 6 April 2026) from the data, 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. “Even with the government’s effort to soften the impact by temporarily cutting the fuel levy by R3, consumers are tightening their belts by driving less, combining trips, and being more deliberate about when they use their cars.”
Attwell explains that the change in behaviour followed a sharp spike in activity just before 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.
“This highlights how quickly people react,” he adds. “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. Fuel spend started to pick up slightly in the third week of April, showing that while people responded quickly to manage costs, they started to find a balance.”
The findings come as motorists brace for an expected increase in fuel prices, which will take effect on Wednesday, 6 May. The government has also extended the temporary R3 per litre relief on the fuel levy until 2 June.
South Africans are changing how they move
Despite the drop in usage, fuel spend remains largely essential and non-discretionary. That’s according to the SpendTrend26 report, which combines data from Visa and Discovery Bank, and found 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 than choice.
The SpendTrend report also showed that while fuel still accounts for the majority of transport costs, alternative options are steadily growing. More than half (58%) of surveyed consumers say that they are using ride-hailing services more than they did a year ago, rising to 70% among 18- to 30-year-olds.
Convenience and saving time remain the biggest drivers (54%), followed by social use, such as going out (48%), while rising fuel costs also played a role (35%).
This suggests that higher fuel prices are leading to less driving and encouraging a shift towards more flexible ways to get around.
“What we are seeing is not just a reduction in driving as petrol prices increase, but an overall change in behaviour,” says Attwell. “People are becoming more deliberate about how they move, whether that’s driving less, combining trips, or using alternatives where it makes sense.”
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