The City of Cape Town has warned that fares on the MyCiTi service may increase from July 2026, driven by sustained high diesel costs.

The City’s Urban Mobility Directorate said it is giving commuters early notice so households can prepare and budget ahead of possible changes.

Mayoral Committee Member for Urban Mobility, Rob Quintas, confirmed that the City has been shielding commuters from higher fuel prices for several months.

“The City has absorbed the costs of the exceptional increases in the diesel price since March. Thus, we have protected MyCiTi commuters from the devastating impact for three months already and will continue to do so in June.”

Quintas stressed that while the department has the interests of commuters at heart, relief cannot continue indefinitely if fuel prices remain high.

Quintas said fare increases are likely in July, depending on the diesel price announced by the national government in early June, with fares predicted to rise by at least 32% if current fuel trends continue.

“We have tried our utmost best to protect our MyCiTi commuters for as long as possible against the sky-high diesel prices, and we are still trying. Unfortunately, we cannot do so for much longer. Commuters will be able to save money in June, but as of July, the MyCiTi fares may be higher. We want to inform commuters a few weeks in advance so that they can budget for this increase.”

According to Quintas, international factors, including the conflict in the Middle East, are contributing to unstable fuel prices.

“The conflict in the Middle East is causing genuine hardship for ordinary people around the world, especially the most vulnerable people in society. We can’t control global oil markets, but we want to assure commuters that we will keep on trying to make the service as affordable as possible for as long as possible.”