How to Use DBC

DBC is your community-powered fuel price tracker for South Africa. Here's everything you need to know — it only takes 2 minutes to read.

Find Cheap Fuel Near You
1

Tap "Find Nearby Stations" on the home screen

The big amber button at the top of the page. When you tap it, your browser will ask for location permission — allow it. DBC will then find the stations closest to you.

2

See the 4 closest stations sorted cheapest first

The station list updates to show the 4 nearest stations. Diesel 50ppm and 500ppm are always shown first in orange — because that's what most DBC members are here for. The cheapest diesel station is at the top.

3

Tap a station card to see it on the map

Tapping any station card highlights its pin on the map with a larger glowing marker and dims all others. The map also pans to that station. Tap Directions to open Google Maps navigation straight to the pump.

The "Cheapest Diesel Near You" bar at the top of the map shows the single best price in your area at a glance — even before you scroll down.
Reading a Station Card
1

Prices shown on each card

Each card shows the station name, brand, address and all available fuel prices. Diesel comes first (50ppm then 500ppm), followed by Petrol 93 and 95. Prices in orange mean diesel.

2

The green/red bar shows community confidence

Below the prices is a small coloured bar. Green means most people confirmed the price is correct. Red means it's been disputed. A ✓ Community Verified badge means 10 or more people confirmed it.

3

The review bar shows station quality

A second green/red bar below shows the overall review sentiment for that station — tap Reviews to read what other drivers said about it.

Voting on Prices
Voting is how DBC stays accurate. Every vote counts — a price needs 10 votes to earn the "Community Verified" badge. You can only vote once per price per station.
1

👍 Tap thumbs up if the price is correct

If you're at a station and the price on the pump matches what DBC shows, tap the thumbs up next to that fuel type. Done — your vote is recorded immediately. The vote count next to the button updates.

2

👎 Tap thumbs down if the price is wrong

If the pump shows a different price to what DBC shows, tap thumbs down. A small form pops up asking what price you actually see at the pump. Enter it and tap Submit Report. Our admin team reviews it before updating the live price.

3

⚠ A warning flag means a price is disputed

If you see a ⚠ symbol next to a price, it means someone has flagged it as incorrect and it's under review. Treat that price with caution until it's verified.

Reviewing a Station
1

Tap "Reviews" on any station card

Every station card has a Reviews button at the bottom. Tap it to open the full review panel — you'll see a score out of 100%, the most commonly mentioned things, and recent comments from other drivers.

2

Choose 👍 or 👎 then pick quick tags

To leave a review, first choose Positive or Negative. Then tap up to 3 quick tags like Clean, Friendly staff, Long queues or Wrong price displayed. No typing needed — just taps.

3

Add an optional comment and submit

If you want to say more, type a short comment (max 300 characters). Then tap Submit Review. Your review appears immediately. You can review each station once every 90 days.

Suggest a Missing Station
1

Find a station not on DBC yet?

Tap "Suggest a Station" in the navigation or on the home screen. The form works best when you're physically standing at the station — your phone's GPS will do most of the work.

2

Tap "Get My Location" — it fills everything automatically

Tap the blue Get My Location button. Your coordinates are captured (usually within 2 metres). Then tap Auto-fill Address from Coordinates — the full street address, suburb, city and province fill in automatically. You just add the station name and brand.

3

Add prices if you know them and submit

Optionally enter current prices for diesel and petrol. Submit the form — our team reviews it within 24 hours. If you provide your name, you'll be credited on the station card as "Suggested by [your name]".

The form automatically checks if the station already exists nearby before you submit — so you won't accidentally add a duplicate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DBC free to use?
Yes — completely free, always. We accept voluntary donations via PayPal to cover server and development costs, but nothing is behind a paywall.
How often are prices updated?
Diesel prices are unregulated in South Africa and can change at any time — that's why community voting matters so much. Petrol prices change on the first Wednesday of each month. Community vote reports are reviewed by our admin team and updated promptly.
How do I know if a price is accurate?
Look for the ✓ Community Verified badge — it means at least 10 people confirmed that price at the pump. A ⚠ flag means it's been disputed and is under review. Always confirm the price on the pump before you fill up.
I voted on a price — can I change my vote?
No — votes are permanent until the price is updated or corrected. This prevents price manipulation. If the price is wrong, use the 👎 thumbs down to report the correct price instead.
Can I use DBC while driving?
The site is fully mobile-optimised for use on the road. We recommend checking prices before you leave or when safely stopped. The map and station list work with mobile data.
Why does my station not appear on the map?
The map shows all active stations in the database. If a station is missing, use "Suggest a Station" to add it. New suggestions are reviewed and added within 24 hours.
My price report was rejected — why?
Our admin team reviews all price reports against known pricing data. If a submitted price looks like a data error (e.g. R3.00 instead of R30.00), it may be rejected. Please double-check the price on the pump before submitting.
Back to DBC Suggest a Station Terms & Conditions
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