Top 10 Countries with the Highest Petrol Prices in Africa in 2026

Published: October 8, 2026

Key Facts

• Malawi has Africa's highest petrol price in 2026 at $3.24 per litre — about 57% above second-placed Zimbabwe ($2.06) and more than double the September global average of roughly $1.59, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.
• Only three African countries sit above $2 per litre — Malawi, Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone — and all three have either no domestic refinery or a severe foreign-exchange squeeze.
• Landlocked countries dominate the expensive end: five of the top 10 — Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, the Central African Republic and Uganda — pay a landlocked premium on imported refined fuel.
• The spread is extreme: Libya's subsidised pump price of $0.023 per litre is less than 1% of Malawi's, making Malawi's petrol roughly 140 times more expensive than Africa's cheapest.
• Malawi has held the top spot all year: it was already #1 in January 2026 at $2.86 per litre before its energy regulator pushed through a hike of more than 40% early in the year.

The ten most expensive petrol markets in Africa average about $2.11 per litre — roughly a third above the September global average of ~$1.59 — and seven of the ten are import-dependent economies with no operating domestic refinery.

Selected Details

1. Malawi

$3.24 per litre. Malawi has been Africa's most expensive place to fill a tank all year: it led the January 2026 ranking at $2.86 per litre before the national energy regulator raised petrol and diesel prices by more than 40% — one of the steepest increases recorded in the country in recent years. Landlocked geography amplifies logistics costs, while an ongoing foreign-exchange crisis has pushed parallel-market costs higher. The price is unchanged since that hike: GlobalPetrolPrices' country page, updated October 5, 2026, shows MWK 5,619 per litre, equivalent to $3.23.

2. Zimbabwe

$2.06 per litre. Zimbabwe's high pump price reflects a combination of exchange-rate pressure, the lack of an active domestic refinery and the absence of a fuel subsidy. GlobalPetrolPrices' October 5, 2026 update puts the price at ZWD 2,060 per litre, up 5.1% on the month and 32.9% higher than a year earlier. At roughly 24% above the world average, Zimbabwean motorists pay the second-steepest prices on the continent.

3. Sierra Leone

$2.03 per litre. Sierra Leone is one of only three African countries where petrol tops $2 per litre, and one of just two West African entries in the top 10. The price persists despite an active subsidy: in May 2026 the Director of the National Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Brima Baluwa Koroma, disclosed that the country was spending $2.6 million a month on fuel subsidies. Import dependence and a weak leone keep landing costs high.

4. Rwanda

$1.99 per litre. Rwanda's 95-octane petrol hovers around $2.00 per litre, making the small landlocked economy Africa's fourth-priciest market. With no domestic refinery, fuel is imported through Dar es Salaam or Mombasa and trucked in, so regional logistics and currency moves feed straight into the pump price despite a subsidy regime.

5. Central African Republic

$1.82 per litre. The landlocked Central African Republic has no operating petrol refinery and relies entirely on imported refined petroleum, so its citizens pay more for fuel than almost everyone else on the continent despite a subsidy regime. At $1.818 per litre, the price sits just above Cape Verde's — and is the fifth-highest in Africa.

6. Cape Verde

$1.81 per litre. Cape Verde is the other island economy near the top of the table, at approximately $1.807 per litre. The country has no permanent petrol subsidy, though the government occasionally deploys temporary price caps, tax reductions and price-adjustment suspensions to cushion sharp global oil shocks.

7. Seychelles

$1.77 per litre. As an island economy, Seychelles' fuel market is exposed to international petroleum prices plus shipping, import and distribution costs, which keep retail prices elevated at approximately $1.769 per litre despite the country's petrol subsidy regime. The price is only marginally above Uganda's, but sits firmly above the global average.

8. Uganda

$1.76 per litre. Uganda is notable as one of the African countries with no petrol subsidy, ranking eighth at approximately $1.755 per litre. The country is developing a new oil refinery in Kabaale with capacity to process 60,000 barrels per day, but the landlocked nation still relies on imported petrol — and until the refinery runs, so will the pump price.

9. Senegal

$1.72 per litre. Senegal's pump price of approximately $1.717 per litre sits about eight cents above Kenya's. The subsidy underpinning it is under strain: in May 2026 Finance Minister Cheikh Diba disclosed that the fuel subsidy bill could exceed its 2026 budget allocation by as much as 1.15 trillion CFA francs, roughly $2 billion.

10. Kenya

$1.64 per litre. Kenya anchors the bottom of the top 10 at approximately $1.639 per litre — still above the global average of about $1.59. The government recently announced a KSh945 million fuel subsidy to cushion consumers from rising global oil prices, and reduced VAT on petroleum products to 8% was extended for a further three months until October 2026. Kenya still relies on imported petrol.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which African country has the highest petrol price in 2026?

Malawi, at $3.24 per litre — about 57% above second-placed Zimbabwe's $2.06 — according to GlobalPetrolPrices' weekly dataset updated September 28, 2026. Malawi has held the top spot all year, leading the January 2026 ranking at $2.86 per litre before a hike of more than 40%.

How do Africa's most expensive petrol prices compare with the world average?

All ten countries in this ranking are above the September 2026 global average of roughly $1.59 per litre, and the top-10 average of about $2.11 is roughly a third higher. Malawi's $3.24 is more than double the global average — and about 140 times Libya's $0.023 per litre, Africa's cheapest.

Why are landlocked countries overrepresented at the top?

Five of the top 10 — Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, the Central African Republic and Uganda — are landlocked, which adds haulage, storage and border costs to fuel that is almost always imported as refined product. With no coastal access and no domestic refineries, they absorb every freight and exchange-rate shock in full at the pump.

Which African countries have the cheapest petrol in 2026?

Oil producers and heavily regulated markets dominate the cheap end: Libya at $0.023 per litre, Angola at $0.327, Algeria at $0.351 and Egypt at $0.465, according to the same September 2026 GlobalPetrolPrices dataset. Sudan and Nigeria also rank among the continent's cheaper markets.

Do these petrol prices change often?

Yes — GlobalPetrolPrices updates its country series weekly, and retail prices move with crude markets, exchange rates and government price reviews. Some countries fix prices for long stretches, while others adjust monthly. The figures in this article are dated to the September 28, 2026 vintage; Malawi and Zimbabwe were spot-checked against the October 5, 2026 updates.

Data Sources

• GlobalPetrolPrices — gasoline prices, weekly series; Africa-wide update of September 28, 2026 — globalpetrolprices.com
• GlobalPetrolPrices — Malawi gasoline prices, updated October 5, 2026 (MWK 5,619/L = $3.23/L) — globalpetrolprices.com
• GlobalPetrolPrices — Zimbabwe gasoline prices, updated October 5, 2026 (ZWD 2,060/L = $2.06/L) — globalpetrolprices.com
• Ghanamma.com — Top 10 African countries with the highest petrol prices in September, October 5, 2026 — ghanamma.com
• 360 Angola — Angola among Africa's cheapest fuel markets as Malawi stays most expensive, September 2026 — 360angola.com
• NORVANREPORTS — Libya, Angola and Algeria offer Africa's cheapest petrol in September, September 2026 — norvanreports.com

Methodology

All prices are octane-95 gasoline in US dollars per litre from GlobalPetrolPrices' weekly series, taken from the Africa-wide update dated September 28, 2026. USD conversions are GlobalPetrolPrices' own, from local-currency retail prices gathered from official government sources, regulatory agencies, petroleum companies and major media. Malawi and Zimbabwe were additionally spot-checked against GlobalPetrolPrices' country pages updated October 5, 2026 ($3.23 and $2.06 per litre respectively), confirming the September figures. Countries are ranked highest price first. The global average figure (~$1.59 per litre) is GlobalPetrolPrices' for the same September 28 vintage. January 2026 figures cited for context come from GlobalPetrolPrices' weekly dataset dated January 12, 2026. Last updated: October 8, 2026.