Zimbabwe’s fuel prices have continued on the uptrend, with petrol increasing to US$2.23 per litre from US$2.17 in March, while diesel has climbed to US$2.11 per litre from US$2.05, the latest April 2026 review has revealed.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) attributed the price adjustments to mounting global cost pressures, while underscoring that recent government interventions have prevented even sharper increases.
This comes as the government is making moves to cushion consumers through the suspension of diesel taxes, among other measures.
“Government will endeavour to keep the price of diesel lower than what it ought to be,” Zera said.
“Without government intervention, the price of diesel would have been US$2.65 per litre,” the regulator said.
It said the upward revision reflects continued volatility on international oil markets, driven largely by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have disrupted supply chains and pushed up freight and procurement costs.
Zera noted that since the last review, the free-on-board (FOB) price of diesel rose by 33.16 percent, while petrol increased by 5.96 percent, necessitating price adjustments to avoid supply imbalances.
“Cost pressures are piling up and these require that prices be reviewed for two weeks to avoid fuel shortages and arbitrage,” the authority said.
In response to the mounting pressures, the government has moved to shield key sectors of the economy by removing taxes and levies on diesel with effect from 3 April 2026.
The suspended charges include excise duty, the Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara) road levy, carbon tax and the strategic reserve levy.
Finance minister Mthuli Ncube described the measure as a targeted intervention to mitigate the broader economic impact of rising fuel costs.
“This bold and unprecedented measure reflects the government’s commitment to protecting both consumers and productive sectors from external shocks, while safeguarding macro-economic stability,” he said.
The tax relief – amounting to approximately US$0.54 per litre – is expected to ease operating costs in critical sectors such as agriculture, mining, manufacturing and transport.
“The removal of these taxes is expected to cushion businesses from escalating operating costs, stabilise prices of basic goods and services, and anchor inflation expectations,” Ncube added.
Authorities maintain that Zimbabwe has sufficient fuel stocks to meet demand, reassuring the market amid ongoing global uncertainty.
“…there are enough stocks of petroleum products in the supply chain… with more than three months’ supply cover,” Zera said, citing supplies from Beira and inland storage facilities.
In an effort to strengthen supply resilience, the government is also diversifying import routes.
“Working with oil traders, the government is opening up supply routes not affected by the current conflict in the Middle East,” the regulator said.
Additionally, authorities have expanded logistics options for diesel imports.
“As a way to open up other avenues for the importation of diesel, the government has, with immediate effect, approved the importation of diesel by road, in addition to pipeline and rail,” Zera said. – TML