Borehole Drilling Cost in South Africa (2026)
Current drilling rates for 14 South African cities, refreshed monthly. Built from live driller quotes, SA hydrogeology data, and provincial water-use rules.
National per-metre range
R290-R750
cheapest city low to most expensive city high
Cheapest city (mid-range)
Bloemfontein
R290-R520/m
Most expensive (mid-range)
Centurion
R420-R750/m
Cities covered
14
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Request quotes on WhatsAppBorehole drilling cost by city
Eastern Cape
Gauteng
Johannesburg
R350-R650/m · 40-120m typical · R55 000-R130 000 project
Pretoria
R380-R700/m · 50-130m typical · R60 000-R140 000 project
Centurion
R420-R750/m · 50-140m typical · R65 000-R150 000 project
Sandton
R400-R700/m · 60-150m typical · R65 000-R145 000 project
Roodepoort
R350-R650/m · 40-120m typical · R55 000-R130 000 project
KwaZulu-Natal
National comparison - cheapest to most expensive
| City | Province | Per metre | Project total | Typical depth | Yield (L/h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloemfontein | Free State | R290-R520 | R40 000-R95 000 | 40-110m | 400-2,000 |
| Polokwane | Limpopo | R290-R530 | R40 000-R95 000 | 40-120m | 300-1,800 |
| Nelspruit | Mpumalanga | R300-R540 | R41 000-R98 000 | 40-110m | 500-2,500 |
| Port Elizabeth | Eastern Cape | R310-R560 | R42 000-R100 000 | 30-100m | 500-2,500 |
| East London | Eastern Cape | R310-R570 | R42 000-R102 000 | 40-110m | 400-2,200 |
| Pietermaritzburg | KwaZulu-Natal | R320-R580 | R45 000-R105 000 | 40-100m | 500-2,500 |
| Kimberley | Northern Cape | R320-R580 | R44 000-R105 000 | 50-130m | 300-1,800 |
| Durban | KwaZulu-Natal | R320-R600 | R45 000-R110 000 | 30-90m | 800-3,500 |
| Johannesburg | Gauteng | R350-R650 | R55 000-R130 000 | 40-120m | 500-3,000 |
| Roodepoort | Gauteng | R350-R650 | R55 000-R130 000 | 40-120m | 500-2,500 |
| Pretoria | Gauteng | R380-R700 | R60 000-R140 000 | 50-130m | 400-2,500 |
| Sandton | Gauteng | R400-R700 | R65 000-R145 000 | 60-150m | 300-1,500 |
| Cape Town | Western Cape | R380-R750 | R50 000-R140 000 | 30-120m | 500-5,000 |
| Centurion | Gauteng | R420-R750 | R65 000-R150 000 | 50-140m | 500-4,000 |
Why borehole prices vary across South Africa
Three factors dominate the price spread between SA cities:
- Rock type. Hard granite (Sandton) and quartzite (Johannesburg, Pretoria) drill 30-50% slower than sandstone (Free State, KZN) or weathered formations. The slower the drilling, the higher the per-metre rate.
- Water-table depth. Cape Town’s Cape Flats Aquifer can be hit at 25m. The Karoo can need 150m. The same per-metre rate produces wildly different totals.
- Dolomite risk. Centurion and parts of the West Rand sit on dolomite - the highest-risk drilling ground in SA. Required dolomite stability assessments add R5,000-R15,000 and 2-4 weeks before any rig moves on site.
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Open the calculator →Updated 28 April 2026. Per-metre and project totals compiled from current 2026 driller quotes; geological context from Council for Geoscience sheets and the National Groundwater Archive; permit notes from each municipality’s current bylaws and the National Water Act Schedule 1.
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