Borehole drilling across South Africa
Drilling, pumps, tanks, repairs and water testing for homes, farms and businesses in all nine provinces. Drilling from R295 a metre, priced for your plot before we drive out.
- Site visit before drilling
- Price line by line
- Drilling, pump and tank in one job
See the price for your plot
Type your house number and street, or your farm or town, anywhere in South Africa. See your price line by line, and what the government water records around you mean for your pocket.
What does a borehole cost?
A 60 m household borehole with steel casing at the top, PVC casing and a pump costs about R39,800 at the national average drilling rate of R330 a metre. Deeper water, as in much of Gauteng, pushes it towards R51,000 and more.
| Depth | Lined and pumping |
|---|---|
| 40 m | R29,300 |
| 60 m | R39,800 |
| 80 m | R51,000 |
| 100 m | R62,000 |
Every borehole job, one team
- Borehole drilling
Drilled, cased and yield-tested, for homes, farms and businesses.
from R295 a metre - Pumps supplied and fitted
Submersible, pressure and solar pumps sized to your borehole.
from R8,000 - Repairs and servicing
No water, low flow, a pump that trips or dirty water: diagnosed, then fixed.
quoted after diagnosis - Water testing
A lab test against the drinking-water standard before anyone drinks it.
R800–R2,500 - Water filtration
The filter that removes what your test found, fitted.
R5,000–R15,000 - Registration and city rules
What you need, if anything, before drilling.
free guide
What the government’s water records tell us
Every quote starts from the Department of Water and Sanitation’s own records around your plot: monitoring boreholes that measure the water level, drilling records with the depth and flow of real holes, and water tests.
- Monitoring boreholes
- 2,501
- Water below ground, median
- 12 m
- Drilling records
- 25,728
- Water tests
- 8,756
Across the monitoring boreholes, 68% have water within 20 m of the surface. In the Limpopo drilling records the typical hole is 63 m deep, and about 1 in 9 came up dry. See how deep is a borehole.
Borehole drilling by province
| Province | Water below ground | Typical borehole | Lined and pumping |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gauteng | 27 m | 80 m | R55,000 |
| Limpopo | 14 m | 65 m | R43,250 |
| KwaZulu-Natal | 6.8 m | 65 m | R43,575 |
| Western Cape | 10 m | 65 m | R43,575 |
| Eastern Cape | 11 m | 65 m | R43,575 |
| Mpumalanga | 8.8 m | 65 m | R43,575 |
| North West | 19 m | 65 m | R42,925 |
| Free State | 6.9 m | 65 m | R43,575 |
| Northern Cape | 13 m | 65 m | R43,575 |
Cities: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Polokwane.
How it works
- Type your address. The tool shows your plot from above, the water records around it and the price line by line.
- Send it to us on WhatsApp. One tap sends your quote. We confirm what the water is for and how soon you need it.
- Site visit. We check the spot, access for the rig and the ground, and confirm the depth and the final price. On rock, a siting survey picks the best spot.
- Drill, case and test the flow. The hole is drilled, lined, and yield-tested so the pump is sized to what it can give.
- Pump, tank and water test. The pump goes in, water goes to the tank and house, and a lab test tells you if it’s safe to drink.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to drill a borehole in South Africa?
About R39,800 for a 60 m household borehole with casing and a pump, at the national average of R330 a metre. Drilling rates on current price lists run from R295 to R440 a metre.
How deep is a borehole?
Most household boreholes are 47 to 90 m deep. The water usually stands much higher, at a median of 12 m below ground in the government’s monitoring boreholes.
Do I need a permit to drill a borehole?
Not from national government for household use. Some cities have their own rules: Cape Town wants notice and registration, Johannesburg wants written consent, and Tshwane doesn’t allow boreholes on dolomite.
What happens if you don’t find water?
A dry hole is charged for the drilling, but not the pump or full casing. A siting survey before drilling lowers the risk, and the maximum depth is agreed before the rig starts.
Is borehole water safe to drink?
Only once a lab test says so. Nitrate, fluoride and salt are the most common problems in government tests. A test costs R800 to R2,500.
Get a price for your borehole
Type your address and see the price line by line, with the water records around your plot. A site visit confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling starts.