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How to save money on fuel in South Africa

Written by Prime Team
August 27, 2023

Fuel prices in South Africa change often, and that uncertainty makes budgeting hard. The good news is that fuel use is one of the few running costs you can actively influence. Small changes in driving style, car condition, and trip planning can reduce fuel consumption over time without making your day-to-day driving stressful.

Why fuel prices change in South Africa

South Africa’s fuel price is adjusted monthly. The two biggest drivers are global oil prices and the rand-to-dollar exchange rate. When oil becomes more expensive internationally, or when the rand weakens against the dollar, fuel tends to increase locally. Levies and local costs also play a role, so even when global prices are stable, you can still see changes at the pump. That’s why fuel efficiency matters. When the price rises, efficient driving softens the impact immediately. When the price drops, the same habits build savings faster.

The fuel-saving mindset that actually works

Fuel savings aren’t about driving unnaturally slowly or being perfect every trip. The biggest wins usually come from reducing waste: harsh acceleration, late braking, unnecessary idling, and driving with a car that’s under-maintained or overloaded. If you’re not sure where to start, focus on one change for a week. Once it feels normal, add another. Consistency is what makes the savings stick.

Driving habits that reduce fuel use

Accelerate smoothly

Hard acceleration uses more fuel because the engine demands more power in a short time. Smooth acceleration lets the car build momentum gradually, which is more efficient in normal driving conditions. It also reduces wear on tyres and brakes, so you often save money in more than one place. A simple check is your revs. If the engine is frequently racing high just to get away from the robot quickly, you’re likely spending fuel for little time saved.

Change gears early, without forcing it

For manual cars, staying in a low gear too long makes the engine work harder than it needs to. Shifting up earlier—while still keeping the car responsive—usually improves fuel economy. The goal isn’t to lug the engine; it’s to avoid unnecessary revs. For automatic cars, your driving style still affects the gearbox. Smooth, steady throttle helps the car shift up sooner and stay in higher gears longer. Sudden acceleration often forces the gearbox to drop a gear, which increases fuel use.

Keep your speed steady in traffic

One of the biggest fuel drains in city driving is repeatedly stopping and starting. Each time you brake hard, you throw away momentum, and then you spend fuel to rebuild it. The most efficient driving in traffic is calm, predictable movement. Leave a safe following distance so you can roll forward instead of constantly stopping. This also lowers the risk of minor collisions in congested areas.

Manage highway speed

At higher speeds, wind resistance becomes a major factor. The faster you drive, the more energy the engine needs to push air out of the way. That’s why fuel consumption often climbs sharply at highway speeds. Driving within speed limits and choosing a calm cruising speed usually produces real savings without changing your arrival time as much as people expect.

At what speed do you save the most petrol?

There isn’t one perfect speed for every car, but petrol use usually follows a clear pattern: it’s high at very low speeds, drops as your speed becomes steadier, and then rises again as speed increases and wind resistance grows. The figures below show the typical trend and help you make better day-to-day choices. Your exact numbers will depend on your car, tyre pressure, load, road conditions, and how smoothly you drive.

Below 30 km/h: city stop-start uses the most petrol

Fuel consumption is usually highest below 30 km/h because this is where stop-start driving happens. Robots, queues, and frequent braking mean your engine keeps working without covering much distance. Idling in congestion also burns petrol while you go nowhere. Some modern cars reduce this waste with stop-start systems that switch the engine off automatically when you’re stationary. Even without that feature, you can save petrol by leaving space, rolling gently where safe, and avoiding hard acceleration between short gaps.

30–55 km/h: petrol use drops as your drive becomes steadier

As speed rises into the 30–55 km/h range, petrol use typically drops because your car spends more time moving smoothly and less time braking and re-accelerating. This range is common in quieter suburbs, semi-urban roads, and some rural towns. The biggest saver here isn’t the exact number on the speedometer. It’s consistency. A calm, steady throttle and fewer full stops usually beat rushing and braking.

55–80 km/h: often the most efficient cruising range

For many cars, the most efficient range sits roughly between 55 and 80 km/h. In this band, the engine can run comfortably in a higher gear while wind resistance is still manageable. Fuel use often stays fairly flat here, meaning a car cruising at 80 km/h can consume close to what it consumes at 55 km/h on the same route. This is why steady rural-road cruising can feel surprisingly economical compared to short, stop-start city trips.

80–120 km/h: petrol use rises again as speed increases

Once you move above about 80 km/h, wind resistance becomes a bigger part of what your engine must overcome, and petrol use typically rises. This is the typical highway range, where small speed increases can cost more petrol than most people expect. As a practical example, a car cruising at 80 km/h can save about one litre of petrol over 100 km compared to the same car cruising at 120 km/h. That raises a fair question on longer trips: is the extra speed worth the extra petrol?

How to find your car’s sweet spot

If your car shows average litres per 100 km, test it on a quiet, flat stretch of road. Hold a steady speed for a few minutes at 80 km/h, then 90 km/h, then 100 km/h, and compare the averages. The lowest reading is your best-efficiency cruising speed for that route.

Car condition: the fuel savings most people miss

Driving habits matter, but maintenance often produces quiet savings that add up without you noticing day-to-day. A well-looked-after car generally uses less fuel.

Tyre pressure

Under-inflated tyres increase rolling resistance, which means the engine has to work harder to keep the car moving. Even slightly low pressures can increase fuel use and accelerate tyre wear. If you only do one maintenance habit for fuel savings, make it tyre pressure. It’s quick, cheap, and it improves safety too. Check weekly when tyres are cold, follow the recommended pressures (often listed on the driver’s door frame), and keep the spare in good condition if you rely on it.

Wheel alignment and balancing

If your car pulls to one side or your steering wheel isn’t centred on a straight road, your wheels may be misaligned. Misalignment increases drag and causes uneven tyre wear, which can raise fuel consumption over time.

Service schedule and engine efficiency

A well-maintained engine runs cleaner and more efficiently. Dirty air filters, worn spark plugs, and old oil can reduce performance and increase fuel use. Delayed servicing often costs more than the service itself when you factor in higher fuel consumption and extra wear.

Reduce unnecessary weight

Carrying extra weight means using extra fuel. Many drivers keep heavy items in the boot just in case and forget they’re there for months. Cleaning out your boot is an easy win and takes one afternoon.

Remove roof racks when you don’t need them

Roof racks and carriers increase aerodynamic drag. The effect is most noticeable at higher speeds. If you only use a rack occasionally, removing it for day-to-day driving can save fuel over time.

Trip planning: saving fuel before you start the engine

Combine errands

Short trips are often less efficient because the engine uses more fuel while warming up. Doing multiple short trips in a day can be more expensive than combining them into one longer loop.

Avoid peak traffic where possible

Stop–start traffic burns fuel. If your routine allows even small shifts—leaving 15 minutes earlier, or travelling slightly outside peak—your car can spend less time idling and accelerating from a standstill. Navigation apps can help you avoid roadworks, accidents, and unusual congestion. The aim isn’t to chase the fastest route every day; it’s to avoid the worst stop–start patterns.

Choose the route that keeps you moving

The shortest route isn’t always the cheapest. A route with lots of robots, steep hills, or heavy congestion can use more petrol than a slightly longer route that flows.

Fuel-saving features worth using

Cruise control

Cruise control can help on flatter highways because it holds a steady speed. On hilly terrain it can sometimes work against you, because it may apply extra throttle to maintain speed uphill. If you drive long distances often, compare your consumption across a few trips and see what works best for your route.

Eco mode and driving feedback

Many modern cars have an eco mode or a dashboard indicator that encourages smoother driving. These tools are useful if you treat them as guidance rather than rules. The goal is calmer, more consistent driving—not constantly gaming the dashboard.

Choosing a car with fuel costs in mind

If you’re shopping for a car, fuel economy should be considered alongside maintenance costs, resale value, and insurance. A car that looks affordable upfront can become expensive if it drinks fuel, requires frequent repairs, or has high insurance costs. Fuel efficiency is often stronger in smaller, lighter cars, particularly in city driving. Hybrids can reduce fuel use meaningfully for stop–start commutes, but you should still consider total ownership cost, including servicing and battery considerations. If your driving is mostly highway, the most efficient option may differ from a city commuter’s choice. That’s why your daily routine matters more than generic lists.

How much difference can this really make?

Fuel saving is easy to underestimate because it’s tempting to focus on one tank at a time. The real impact shows up over months. Many drivers can save several litres a week by combining a few habits from this guide—especially tyre pressure checks, smoother driving, less idling, and fewer short trips. If you want to track progress simply, note your odometer and litres filled each time you refuel. Over a month or two you’ll see a trend without doing anything complicated.

A simple routine that keeps savings consistent

Instead of a long checklist, aim for a small routine that becomes normal. Once a week, check tyre pressure and remove unnecessary boot clutter. Once a month, review your driving pattern and pick one improvement to focus on. At each service interval, keep the car maintained and deal with issues early. Small problems become expensive problems when ignored.

Conclusion: small changes make a real difference

Fuel costs are one of the few running expenses you can actively influence as a driver. By making a few consistent changes to the way you drive and maintain your car, it is possible to reduce fuel use without making daily travel inconvenient. Smooth acceleration, steady cruising speeds, correct tyre pressure, and thoughtful trip planning all work together to lower fuel consumption. None of these habits require special tools or major lifestyle changes, yet over time they can make a meaningful difference to your monthly fuel spend. The most important takeaway is consistency. Even saving a small amount of petrol on each trip adds up over weeks and months. Drivers who focus on steady driving, proper car maintenance, and efficient routes usually see the biggest long‑term benefits. When you combine these habits with smart decisions about the type of car you drive and how you plan longer trips, fuel efficiency becomes much easier to manage. In a country where petrol prices change regularly, those small efficiencies help protect your budget while also reducing unnecessary strain on your car.

Frequently Asked Questions About Saving Fuel

What is the best way to save petrol while driving?
Smooth, consistent driving is one of the simplest ways to reduce petrol use. Accelerate gradually, maintain a steady speed where conditions allow, leave enough following distance to avoid repeated braking and acceleration, and limit unnecessary idling. Combining these habits can help reduce wasted fuel during everyday driving.

What speed is most fuel-efficient?
There is no single perfect speed for every car. Many cars are most efficient when cruising steadily at roughly 55–80 km/h, depending on the engine, gearbox, road conditions and load. At higher speeds, aerodynamic resistance increases and the engine generally needs more fuel to maintain speed.

Does driving slower save petrol?
Driving at a moderate, steady speed can save petrol, particularly compared with higher-speed driving. Very low speeds in stop-start traffic can also increase fuel consumption because the car repeatedly accelerates, brakes and idles. The most efficient approach is generally smooth driving at a consistent speed appropriate for the road conditions.

Does cruise control save fuel?
Cruise control can help save fuel on relatively flat roads by maintaining a consistent speed. On steep or hilly routes, managing the accelerator yourself may sometimes be more efficient because cruise control can apply additional throttle to maintain the selected speed.

Does tyre pressure affect fuel consumption?
Yes. Under-inflated tyres create additional rolling resistance, which makes the engine work harder to move the car. Keeping tyres at the manufacturer’s recommended pressure can support better fuel economy while also helping with tyre life and safe handling.

Does air conditioning use more petrol?
Air conditioning places an additional load on the engine and can increase fuel consumption. The effect varies according to the car, outside temperature and how hard the air-conditioning system is working. At higher speeds, opening the windows can also increase aerodynamic drag, so the most efficient option can depend on your driving conditions.

Does carrying extra weight use more petrol?
Yes. Additional weight means the engine needs more energy to move the car. Removing heavy items that you regularly carry without needing can help reduce unnecessary fuel use. Roof racks and carriers can also increase aerodynamic drag, particularly during highway driving.

Can regular servicing improve fuel economy?
Regular servicing helps keep the engine and other components operating efficiently. Items such as engine oil, air filters and spark plugs can influence performance and fuel use. Following the recommended service schedule can therefore support better fuel economy over time.

Is it more fuel-efficient to combine several short trips?
Yes. Combining errands into one planned journey can be more fuel-efficient than making several separate short trips. Engines can use more fuel while warming up, and multiple trips also mean additional acceleration, traffic and idling.

How can I tell if my car is using too much petrol?
Track the litres of petrol added and the kilometres travelled between fill-ups. Comparing your average litres per 100 km over several tanks gives you a useful picture of your normal consumption. A noticeable increase can prompt you to review tyre pressure, driving habits, traffic patterns, load and maintenance.

How can I make a tank of petrol last longer?
Focus on a combination of small habits: keep your tyres correctly inflated, accelerate smoothly, maintain steady speeds, plan routes around heavy congestion where possible, remove unnecessary weight and keep your car properly maintained. Consistently applying several small fuel-saving habits usually delivers more value than relying on one change alone.

Sources

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