In Ethiopia, authorities have ordered fuel supply companies to prioritise security institutions, major government projects, key industries and the manufacture of essential goods.
The Ethiopian Oil and Energy Authority’s measures announced last week saw petrol stations prioritising public transport, as well as restrictions to conserve fuel.
Authorities in the Tigray region, where there are fears of a return to civil war, have announced a complete suspension of fuel supplies.
In Kenya, 20% of petrol stations are reportedly experiencing supply shortages.
An association representing petroleum outlets in the country has cited high demand for fuel because of panic buying, with stock levels running low.
Vivo Energy Kenya, which distributes Shell products and services in Kenya, said on Thursday that increased demand had resulted in “temporary stock-outs” at some of its service stations. It said it was monitoring the situation and was working to ensure there was fuel in the affected sites.
Kenya’s energy ministry on Wednesday denied that there was a shortage of fuel, accusing retailers of hoarding the commodity in anticipation of higher prices.
The minister, Opiyo Wandayi, also urged Kenyans not to engage in panic buying.
Neighbouring Uganda has assured citizens that the government is taking measures to ensure there is enough fuel, amid reports of shortages. The government has warned fuel distributors against increasing prices.
In South Africa, officials have said that the country has sufficient supplies but warn that a prolonged conflict could affect availability and prices in the coming months.
“South Africa’s fuel supply remains stable in the immediate term, and there is no basis for panic buying,” an official government statement said on Thursday.
However, some ports and marine services in southern and eastern Africa could benefit from tankers and containers avoiding the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope.
“The new longer routes are going to put increasing pressure on many of the offshore port areas in southern Africa – Walvis Bay, Cape Town, Durban, Maputo, Dar es Salaam,” says Senior Researcher, Institute for Security Studies, Timothy Walker.
“Ships will potentially be looking to stop there and resupply themselves, pick up new food supplies or new crew,” he told the BBC.
And Africa’s second largest oil producer, Nigeria could benefit from higher oil prices. It has offered to pump more oil to help meet global demand.
But even if the government and oil companies earn more revenue, “ordinary people may not feel the benefit immediately because if international petrol prices rise, transport costs increase everywhere,” Dumebi Oluwole, a lead economist from Lagos who specialises in oil, told the BBC.
Additional reporting by Makuochi Okafor, Michael Teferi, Nichola Mandil, Hafsa Khalil and Marco Oriunto