Rising fuel costs threaten building projects across South Africa

Stephen Grootes speaks to Roy Mnisi, Executive Director of Master Builders South Africa, about mounting pressure on the construction sector as fuel price volatility drives up costs across the value chain.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

South Africa’s construction sector is preparing for fresh pressure as fuel prices are expected to rise sharply in April 2026.

Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) has warned that the increase, linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East, could significantly raise costs and disrupt building projects across the country.

The increase in fuel costs impacts several aspects, including transport of materials, operation of heavy machinery and delivery of goods to building sites. This ultimately drives up the costs of the overall building projects.

According to MBSA, the current spike is unusually large and fast, and will almost certainly make it difficult for companies to adjust.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Roy Mnisi, executive director of Master Builders South Africa says the industry is already dealing with tight margins, rising input costs and project delays.

He says that the latest fuel price increase only adds another layer of strain.

"A significant portion of our costing goes towards fuel. Whenever there is a huge adjustment of fuel, more especially an upward adjustment fuel, we suffer a lot."

- Roy Mnisi, executive director of Master Builders South Africa

"It will definitely affect project delivery timelines, because when you get into a contract you agree on a commencement date and a completion date. With the high prices of materials, petrol, diesel and other things, it will definitely affect it in that manner."

- Roy Mnisi, executive director of Master Builders South Africa

"It's not only a problem for us as a sector, but it's a problem for the economy because our sector is one of the drivers of economic growth."

- Roy Mnisi, executive director of Master Builders South Africa

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.