Consumer inflation jumped to 4,0% in April from 3,1% in March, driven mainly by sharp fuel price increases. This is the highest inflation print since August 2024, when the headline rate was 4,4%. The monthly change in the consumer price index (CPI) was 1,1% in April.

Fuel prices bite hard

Consumers were dealt a painful fuel price blow in April. The index for fuel rose by 18,2% from March, the steepest monthly increase since the current CPI series began in 2008.

Petrol prices were up by 15,2% and diesel by 35,4%. The price for inland 93-octane petrol rose from R20,19 per litre in March to R23,25 per litre in April. This is the fifth-largest increase for this grade in 50 years, and the biggest this century.¹ Motorists using diesel felt the most pain. The average price for a litre of diesel jumped from R21,28 in March to R28,80 in April.²

The passenger transport services index climbed by 3,1% between March and April, the largest monthly rise since July 2022. Following a 14,3% hike in March, the price of an air ticket jumped by a further 24,5%. This is the largest monthly increase in airfares since March 2008, when ticket prices rose by 32,4%.

Some respite: Food inflation slows further

In contrast to the fuel price bruising, annual inflation for food & non-alcoholic beverages (NAB) decreased for a third consecutive month, from 3,6% in March to 2,9% in April.

Six of the eleven food & NAB categories recorded lower annual rates. Meat registered the largest decline, easing from 11,6% in March to 9,4% in April. Beef mince inflation slowed from 22,2% to 15,3% and stewing beef from 22,6% to 8,7%. The rate for pork moderated from 19,5% to 17,7%.

The cereal products category recorded its third consecutive month of deflation. Five of the nineteen items in the category are cheaper than a year ago. These include white rice, maize meal, porridge, basmati rice and bread flour.

Milk, other dairy products & eggs recorded its first annual increase since May 2025. The rate was 0,1%, up from March’s -0,5%. Powdered milk and eggs continue to occupy deflationary territory, at -3,4% and -5,8% respectively.

The graph below shows the food and beverage products that recorded the sharpest price increases and decreases.

Other notable price changes

The insurance index increased by a monthly 1,3%. This is primarily due to the increase in health insurance premiums. Health insurance (i.e. medical aid contributions) recorded a monthly rise of 1,8%, taking the annual increase to 8,3%. Several medical schemes increased their contributions earlier in the year, with the remainder implementing new premiums in April.

For more information, download the April 2026 CPI statistical release and associated Excel files with indices and average prices here.

¹ Stats SA, A 50-year take on the petrol price [8 May 2026] (read here).

² Stats SA, CPI_Average Prices_All urban(202604) Excel file.

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