10 African countries with the highest fuel prices in May 2026

High fuel prices remain one of the most economically disruptive issues confronting many African countries today.

• Global fuel prices edged higher month-on-month, rising from an average of $1.48 to $1.51 per liter worldwide.
• Malawi and Zimbabwe saw a decline in fuel prices, contrasting with the broader upward trend in global fuel costs.
• Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and Senegal recorded fuel price increases, reflecting continued pressure in parts of the region.
• A reshuffle in the global top 10 fuel price rankings occurred, with Cabo Verde, Tanzania, Seychelles, and South Africa entering the list, replacing Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon.

Owing to how essential gasoline is for transportation, electricity generation, industry, agriculture, and logistics, even minor increases can swiftly spread across an economy, raising the cost of almost everything from food and shelter to public transportation and industrial production.

The challenge is especially serious in countries that rely heavily on imported refined petroleum products while also dealing with weak currencies and poor energy infrastructure.

This renders the continent extremely exposed to global oil price fluctuations, geopolitical instability, and shipping disruptions.

When international crude prices rise, African consumers and businesses frequently experience direct consequences such as higher transportation charges, inflation, and growing operating costs.

One of the most apparent instances comes from Nigeria's downstream oil sector, despite the existence of an oil refinery, the largest on the continent.

According to recent reports, petrol prices from the Dangote Refinery have been rising at a rapid pace, with ex-depot prices rising dramatically last week.

These rapid revisions reflect the greater instability in fuel pricing following deregulation, in which global crude swings and currency pressure are promptly passed on to customers.

For enterprises, this creates an unstable cost environment in which transportation and production costs might fluctuate overnight.

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Furthermore, in rural locations, where transportation costs determine market access, high gasoline prices can effectively separate communities from economic engagement.

The effects of high fuel prices go beyond just transportation.

High gasoline costs restrict households' discretionary income, reducing investment in education, healthcare, and small enterprises.

While fuel pricing reforms are frequently required to maintain fiscal balance, persistently high fuel costs risk impeding industrial growth, hurting manufacturing expansion, and growing inequality in African nations.

With that said, here are the African countries with the highest cost of fuel in April 2026, per data from GlobalPetrolPrices.

Compared to last month’s list, when the global average cost of fuel was 1.48 U.S. dollars per liter, as opposed to 1.51 U.S. dollars per liter, fuel prices for Malawi and Zimbabwe decreased, while fuel prices for Rwanda, the Central African Republic, and Senegal increased.

Fuel price for Sierra Leone remained the same, while Cabo Verde, Tanzania, Seychelles, and South Africa ousted Morocco, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon from the top 10 spot this month.