“This Is Nice and Cheap”: SA Teacher in China Shows Cheap Petrol Prices Abroad and Has Mzansi Fuming

• A South African teacher living in China shared a video showing his wife filling up his car with 31.4 litres of petrol
• The low price of the fuel left South Africans back home stunned after comparing how much he paid to current prices back home
• The clip sparked frustration about South Africa's fuel price structure, with many pointing to government taxes and levies as the real reason locals pay so much

A South African teacher working in China has given locals back home a very uncomfortable reality check about the price of petrol. Alwyn Barnard shared a video on 28 June 2026 at a Chinese petrol station, showing how much he paid to fill up his car.

He filled up 31.4 litres of petrol at 7.96 yuan per litre, paying 250 yuan in total. That works out to roughly R500. In South Africa, the same amount of fuel would cost around R1,000 at current June 2026 prices, with 95-octane petrol sitting at R28.06 per litre.

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For South Africans driving larger vehicles, a full tank costs R1,300 or more.

What fuel actually costs in China vs SA

China's state-owned energy sector keeps fuel costs tightly managed, and the country does not load its petrol price with the same volume of taxes that South Africa does.

In South Africa, nearly R6.66 of every litre goes directly to the government through the General Fuel Levy, Road Accident Fund levy, Customs and Excise duty and the Slate Levy. Without these charges, 95-octane petrol would cost South Africans R21.40 per litre instead of R28.06.

The broader cost of living difference between the two countries is quitebig. According to expats living in China, monthly utilities including water, electricity, and gas come to around R400 for one person, compared to roughly R1,000 in South Africa.

Monthly grocery costs for two people are also much lower in China when shopping at local stores.

Watch the Facebook clip below:

SA debates the cheap petrol in China

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South Africans were not impressed with the comparison and shared their thoughts on the young man's Facebook page:

@OtnielWilliams said:

"R600 is only 21 litres in RSA."

@DorieVanHeerden said:

"Goodness, good price for petrol."

@QuenetteHorn wrote:

"Wow, well that's not bad."

@FreddyErasmus said:

"People, we always refer to other countries' petrol prices. Yes, ours can also be cheap, but our petrol price is loaded with tax. If we are short, what is being done? The petrol price is being charged."

@KobusKruger said:

"Blessed day, Alwyn."

@QuenetteHorn wrote:

"If our car fills up, it costs us about R1,300 plus."

@MariusGreyling said:

"Price is basically double with us, thank you."

More on South Africa's rising fuel costs

• Briefly News recently reported on what petrol and diesel in South Africa are actually supposed to cost without government levies.
• A suspected illegal fuel operation outside Potchefstroom was caught stripping chemicals from paraffin to sell as diesel.
• Cape Town MyCiTi bus commuters are facing fare increases of up to 50% from July.

Source: Briefly News