Paraffin price nearly doubles by R11.67 per litre, hitting 500,000 vulnerable households

More than 500,000 South African households that depend on paraffin as their primary energy source are facing acute financial strain after the price of illuminating paraffin nearly doubled on the first day of April 2026. The R11.67 per litre increase is one of the steepest single-month adjustments ever recorded and has drawn immediate condemnation from anti-poverty organisations.

Paraffin is predominantly used by low-income households in informal settlements and rural areas where access to the electrical grid remains limited or unaffordable. For these communities, paraffin is not a luxury — it is the fuel used to cook meals, heat homes during winter, and provide light after dark. A near-doubling of the price effectively removes this essential commodity from the reach of many families.

The increase is driven by the same global oil price dynamics that have pushed petrol and diesel to record levels. Because paraffin is derived from crude oil, its price follows international benchmark movements closely, and the surge in Brent crude has fed directly into domestic pump prices across all petroleum products.

Consumer advocacy groups have called on the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources to introduce targeted relief for paraffin, noting that this particular fuel serves the country's most economically vulnerable citizens. Proposals include a temporary subsidy or price cap, similar to mechanisms used in other developing economies to shield the poor from commodity shocks.

The government has so far not indicated any immediate intervention, though the Department of Social Development is said to be monitoring the situation and assessing the impact on grant-dependent households heading into the winter months.