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Stephen Grootes speaks to Robert Attwell, CEO of Discovery Insure, about how South African motorists are changing their driving and refuelling habits in response to rising fuel prices.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

South African motorists are changing how they buy fuel as rising prices put increasing pressure on household budgets, with new Discovery Insure data showing a 33% drop in fuel purchasing volumes in October.

Despite the sharp decline in fuel purchases, the number of trips made by motorists fell by just 6%, suggesting that many are cutting back on the amount they fill up rather than significantly reducing their driving.

The data, drawn from more than 200,000 Discovery Insure clients, shows average fuel purchases have declined from around 36 litres to 31 litres during months with substantial price increases.

Purchases of less than 20 litres now account for 36% of transactions, compared with 25% in 2025, while motorists are visiting fuel stations more frequently.

Average monthly fuel expenditure has climbed from approximately R1,750 at the start of 2025 to between R2,500 and R2,700 by mid-2026.

The data also points to a 30% decline in long-distance trips during the winter months, indicating that discretionary travel is among the first expenses motorists are cutting.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Discovery Insure CEO Robert Attwell says the findings highlight the difficulty motorists face in reducing transport costs when everyday commuting and school runs remain essential.

“What we are seeing is that long distance trips have been cut out. What we are seeing is that consumers are just under a significant amount of pressure, and we see this in the panic buying.”

“Really, people are just trying to save a few hundred rand, and we see this through the smaller fuel purchases.”

“…certainly just given the amount of pressures consumers are under, I’m really at a point where every bit helps and everyone’s trying to optimise.”

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