“This Is Hilarious”: Mzansi Reacts as TikToker’s R100 Fuel Price Joke at Engen Garage Goes Viral
- A South African TikToker staged a petrol station skit with an Engen attendant that captured exactly what April 2026 fuel prices have done to ordinary South Africans
- South Africa’s petrol price climbed by R3.06 per litre in April, while diesel surged by as much as R7.51 per litre in one of the sharpest monthly increases on record
- Labour unions declared the April 2026 fuel hike a national disaster as taxi fares, food prices, and household transport costs all began climbing sharply across the country
A South African woman drove into an Engen forecourt with R100 and jokingly left with nothing but a sniff of diesel.
Source: TikTok
SallyvdM posted the video on 4 April 2026, and Mzansi lost it completely. She was at an Engen petrol station with a plan and a hundred rand note. The attendant on duty became an unwitting co-star in a skit that said what every South African thinks while at the pump.
She drove up to the attendant and asked for R100 worth of diesel. The attendant played along without missing a beat. He lifted the nozzle and held it straight to her nose. She sniffed, and then it was over. The hundred rand was gone just like that. Just the scent of diesel and the memory of a note that used to mean something. The joke landed with many South Africans because it was not really a joke at all.
When R100 stopped being real money at the pump
April 2026 brought the sharpest single month increase many South Africans have ever felt. Petrol went up by R3.06 per litre. Diesel climbed by as much as R7.51 per litre. Illuminating paraffin, the fuel millions of poor households depend on, rose by R11.67 per litre. These are not small adjustments. They are some serious body blows to the wallet.
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The main trigger was the conflict between the United States and Iran. Brent crude prices shot from around 69 dollars a barrel to nearly 94 dollars in weeks. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a massive portion of the world’s oil travels, was caught right in the middle. South Africa imports most of its refined fuel and has no buffer. To make it worse, the rand was already under pressure when oil prices surged.
See the TikTok clip below:
Mzansi reacts to the joke
Briefly News compiled some comments from South Africans who shared mixed reactions on the post.
@Zwah_K commented:
“I’m running on low, and the thought of filling up stresses me. 😩🥲”
@Jak Wiese wrote:
“😂🤣 This is hilarious, but our food prices are going to skyrocket.😭 It's already insane. And the problem is, once the petrol/diesel comes down again, they don't adjust the food prices down.”
@Dudu Nunu Buthelezi noted:
“This was funny until I got to the filling station. Things got real. 😣”
@Msongi117 said:
“The pump is takes out air first. Some disagree with me when I tell them that before petrol or diesel comes, the pump blows air first.”
@Rabs Moleejane commented:
“I don't think that's a joke. Sooner we will get to that point where R100 is just the smell in the tank."
@Claire said:
“I am so glad I let go of my bakkie because R500 would not have even got me a range of 200km. This is very accurate.”
Source: TikTok
More article about fuel prices
- A local comedian shared a hilarious "Uber" alternative to travel ahead of today's fuel price hike, sparking joy and laughter online.
- Motorists across South Africa are rushing to fill up before the April 2 increase, triggering long queues, rising frustration, and fears of worsening shortages.
- A young man showed a taxi driver shaking his vehicle at a petrol station that had South Africans laughing and relating.
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Source: Briefly News
