Still have errands to run? Two ways to make the fuel you need cost less

South Africans have spent much of 2026 adapting to soaring fuel prices, racing to the pumps for one last fill before midnight price hikes take effect, pulling back sharply afterwards and looking for ways to stretch every litre. By October, filling a 45-litre VW Polo cost more than R430 more than in January. To fill a 75-litre diesel Ford Ranger costs more than R1 000 more. This is what ten months of fuel-price shocks look like: petrol climbing from R20.75 a litre in January to as high as R30.24 by November, and diesel rising from R18.42 to R31.60, amid global geopolitical conflict and disruption to oil supply. There is a limit to how much driving households can cut Motorists are changing how much fuel they buy far more than they are changing how much they drive. And there’s a reason for that. Discovery Insure telematics data from more than 200 000 clients shows just how sharply motorists are responding to fuel price pressures. Average monthly fuel spend rose from around R1 750 in early 2025 to between R2 500 and R2 700 by mid-2026. When petrol jumped by R3.06 and diesel by R7.51 in April, motorists reacted quickly: fuel spend fell 35% in a month, while trips dropped 10% and distance travelled declined 9%. By May, they were buying 23% less fuel and driving 9% less, yet still spending 15% more than in January. The same pattern emerged in October. On 6 October, a day before 95 unleaded petrol increased by R3.33 and diesel by R2.84, litres purchased surged 300% and 400% respectively. After the increase, fuel spend fell 33%, while trips declined by just 6%. Getting to work, taking children to school, buying groceries and making other essential trips still have to happen. The latest SpendTrend26 report published by Discovery Bank and Visa shows just how difficult it is to escape everyday transport costs. Groceries, fuel and transport account for more than 70% of household spend, with fuel representing roughly 82% of mobility spending. When cutting kilometres is no longer enough, what else can motorists do? First, drive better and maximise every litre Discovery Insure data show motorists in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape use nearly one litre more per 100km than motorists elsewhere, largely because of heavier traffic. Limpopo motorists average six litres per 100km. If Gauteng motorists matched that efficiency (say by planning more fuel-efficient routes, combining errands, maintaining steady speeds and avoiding harsh acceleration and braking), they’d make every litre go further and save almost 20% on their monthly fuel bill. Second, make every rand spent on fuel work harder Discovery Insure clients with a qualifying Discovery Bank card can earn up to 65% back on qualifying monthly fuel spend, paid instantly in Ðiscovery Miles when paying with their linked virtual card. For someone spending R3 000 a month on qualifying fuel purchases, that’s up to R1 950 back, bringing the effective fuel cost down to R1 050 after rewards. At the November inland petrol price, that’s effectively paying R10.58 a litre instead of R30.24 for 95 unleaded petrol. Ðiscovery Miles can be converted at 10 Miles to R1, with qualifying discounts at Discovery Bank partners to further stretch their value. Alternatively, clients can direct fuel rewards to the Insure Funder Account, a reward and savings account offered by Discovery Insure, where the Vitality Drive portion is doubled, creating potential savings of up to R36 000 a year towards tyres, servicing, claims-related excesses or vehicle licence renewals. Driving keeps South Africans moving to work, school and everywhere daily life demands. Discovery Insure and Discovery Bank help motorists get more value from those essential kilometres. Content supplied by our select Partners and paid for content ad advertisement.