By Patience Gondo
A Beitbridge transporter has questioned transparency in Zimbabwe’s fuel procurement and pricing system as the country recorded the highest fuel price increases among 55 African countries during the latest Middle East oil shock.
A local public operator who refused to be identified told Ziyah news network on Saturday that Zimbabwe must undergo a public audit to identify inefficiencies and understand why logistics costs, including those associated with the pipeline from Beira, appear to be higher than road transport in other countries.
“There is a pressing need for greater transparency in how fuel procurement is managed in Zimbabwe,” He said.
“The current situation is unsustainable and l think the government must take responsibility for the policies that have led to this crisis rather than putting the blame onto external factors,” he said.
The transporter said operators in Beitbridge are now struggling to remain profitable as fuel prices continue to rise while passenger fares remain largely unchanged.
“We are under pressure every day because fuel prices keep going up but passengers still expect to pay the old fares. At the end of the day we are expected to meet targets for vehicle owners, buy fuel and still survive,” he said.
Zimbabwe recorded a 39,1% increase in petrol prices between February 23 and March 23, 2026, according to a joint report by the United Nations Development Programme, African Union, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and African Development Bank.
The report, titled The Impacts of the Middle East Conflict on African Economies also showed that Zimbabwe registered Africa’s highest diesel price increase at 35% during the same period.
The increases followed escalating tensions linked to the United States-Iran conflict, which triggered fears of disruptions to crude oil shipments through key maritime routes and pushed global oil prices higher.
Zimbabwe’s increases were significantly higher than those recorded in many African countries facing the same global pressures because of domestic structural challenges including high taxes, currency instability and costly fuel import systems.
Egypt recorded the second-highest petrol increase at 14,3%, followed by Morocco at 13,9% and Sierra Leone at 12,3%.
Countries such as South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania and Lesotho implemented only modest or single-digit increases.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce chief executive officer Christopher Mugaga said Zimbabwe already had some of the region’s highest fuel costs before taxes and levies were added.
“Zimbabwe is already about 20% above the regional average on the free on-board price before you even consider taxes and levies,” Mugaga said.
He attributed the high prices to import costs, excise duties, road levies and Zimbabwe’s limited access to international financial support from institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.
In Beitbridge, transport operators and informal fuel traders say the increases have immediately affected their businesses.
Informal fuel sellers operating in the border town have also raised prices, citing higher procurement costs from Musina in neighbouring South Africa, where fuel prices also increased following the global oil shock.
The cross-border fuel trade remains a major source of supply for many informal traders in southern Zimbabwe, meaning price movements in South Africa often directly affect communities along the border.
Research firm Equity Axis recently said Zimbabwe’s fuel pricing system had become increasingly disconnected from regional realities.
In its analysis, the firm said that fuel transported through Zimbabwe to neighbouring countries was in some cases cheaper outside the country than within Zimbabwe itself.
“Fuel moving through Harare to Zambia ultimately retails at a lower price in Lusaka than in Harare. This is a structural anomaly,” the firm said.
Although the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority recently reduced fuel prices after government increased ethanol blending from E5 to E20, petrol is still selling at around US$2,08 per litre while diesel costs approximately US$2,09 per litre, among the highest prices in southern Africa.