MBABANE (02 September 2026): The price of fuel is set for a major price jump expected to be announced by the Energy Department in the next few hours.
A ministry of natural resources official confirmed that officials were currently locked in a meeting to determine the new fuel price.
The jump, if indications from South Africa are anything to go by, may be as high as E1.30 for petrol and even higher for diesel which has increased by almost E3.00 in South Africa with effect from midnight (Wednesday, 2 September 2026).
The Eswatini price of fuel is benchmarked on the South African who are the principal importers of both crude and refined stock for the SACU countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Namibia.
The fuel price which has not changed in Eswatini since June 2026 when the petrol price jumped again, by 90 cents per litre, increasing from E25.27 per litre of ULP 95 to E26.17 a litre – the highest in history while that of diesel reduced from E31.60 to E29.20 per litre for 50ppm.
Since then, easing tensions in hostilities in the Persian Gulf war between the USA and Iran indicated promises of substantial improvements. Fuel prices even reduced in July, but renewed hostilities and USA attacks on Iran and Iran in turn attacking Jordan as part of its asymmetrical war has sparked fears of global fuel shortages and a gradual uptick in the price of crude. Brent crude was trading at disturbing high above US$94.50 a barrel this morning.
In South Africa drivers are feeling the pain as petrol prices increase by R1.34 per litre and diesel by between R2.94 and R3.15 per litre from midnight.
In the South African can, the price changes are also impacted by an increase in the slate levy and by industry wage increases, which somewhat allays fears of a less steep price rise in Eswatini.
The big disruptor in the fuel price remains the US-Iran War, which saw escalation in August, pushing prices above $90 a barrel. However, the four-year old Russia-Ukraine War also continues to impose global fuelsupply disruptions.
The only area of solace for SACU is the the rand/dollar exchange rate, which strengthened to pre-Iran War levels, which however will not be enough to offset the steep crude oil price rises.
Jm/02.09.2026