Creator

Bathandwa Vazi

Bathandwa Vazi is a policy advisor for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)

South Africa last experienced a real shock in liquid fuel prices during the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, which triggered record oil prices and exposed the country’s deep import dependency

12 MAY 2026

SA’s fuel tax cuts fall short on protecting vulnerable households

History is now repeating itself — and the same blind spots remain. In 2026, the global fuel price shock caused by the conflict in the Gulf has led to substantial rises in…

Bathandwa Vazi
Richard Bridle

5 min read