Recent developments in South Africa and other parts of East and Southern Africa demonstrate how rising fuel prices are causing ripple effects throughout entire economic systems, with major ramifications for businesses, farmers, and individuals.
In South Africa, diesel prices have risen substantially in recent years, with some stating that costs have reached record highs in several locations.
The most recent increases, fueled mostly by global oil price volatility and supply interruptions, have put further strain on transportation operators, manufacturers, and the agricultural sector.
Diesel is central to freight movement, electricity backup systems, and farming equipment, meaning any increase quickly feeds into higher costs for goods and services across the economy.
The impact does not stop with price inflation, as transport businesses, which operate on tight margins, are compelled to either absorb or pass on increased energy costs to customers.
This has resulted in increasing food and necessary commodities costs, exacerbating cost-of-living pressures in already struggling urban and rural areas.
Rising diesel costs are escalating production expenses in agriculture, where diesel drives irrigation systems, tractors, and food delivery infrastructure, potentially jeopardizing food supply stability in the months ahead.
Even oil-producing countries are not entirely immune, as refining capacity shortfalls frequently force them to buy diesel at international prices.
High diesel prices raise the cost of moving goods across lengthy African trade routes, slowing industrial production and reducing local manufacturers’ competitiveness.
They also impose strain on government budgets, particularly in cases where fuel subsidies or price controls are utilized to protect consumers.
With that said, here are the African countries with the most expensive diesel in May 2026, per data seen on GlobalPetrolPrices.
Compared to last month’s list, when the global average price of diesel was 1.60 U.S. dollars per liter, down from 1.58 U.S. dollars per liter currently, diesel prices in Malawi, Lesotho, South Africa, Botswana, and Zambia increased.
Prices in the Central African Republic and Zimbabwe have decreased.
The diesel price for Sierra Leone remained the same, as Mozambique and Swaziland constituted new entries to this month’s list, ousting Mali and Liberia from April’s top 10 list.
The list for May is dominated by Southern African countries, with 7, all of which, except Zimbabwe, saw price increases for this month, compared to April.
