Borehole Drilling in Polokwane
What we could source about borehole drilling in Polokwane: geology, typical depths, price guidance, permit rules and the drilling companies listed there from public information. It is a guide, not advice for your plot.
Last reviewed . Prices and depths are indications from the sources listed at the foot of the page.
Borehole drilling prices in Polokwane
Indicative project price
R40,000 to R95,000
R290 to R530 per metre. From one price guide. We found no other published Polokwane price source.
Typical drilling depth
40 to 120 m
From one price guide. Your driller sets the depth from the survey.
Water level
No published figure
We found no published per-city figure. The DWS National Groundwater Archive holds borehole water-level records (free registration on the DWS website), but we have not extracted city figures. Depth to water varies within a single suburb, so ask for the survey's expected water level. For crystalline basement rocks the British Geological Survey says groundwater is found in the shallow weathered zone, usually to a maximum of around 50 m depth, and in fractures.
Listed companies
5
From public information, none verified by us.
Depths and water levels here are indicative ranges from regional geology and published guides, not predictions for your plot. They vary widely within a suburb and with season and pumping. Only a site survey and the driller's log can tell you what your plot will give, and a borehole can be dry.
Prices come from published price guides, not from quotes. The main guide does not say whether its per-metre rates include casing, VAT or mobilisation, and a fully equipped system (pump, tank and installation) costs more than a drilled and cased hole. Ask for written quotes that say what is included.
Borehole drilling companies in Polokwane (5)
These companies come from public Google business listings and company websites that we checked. We have not inspected, verified or endorsed any of them, and a listing says nothing about their registration, insurance or workmanship. Check the company yourself before you hire. Ratings are Google ratings, early 2026, and the list is sorted by rating weighted by number of reviews.
Makoti Borehole Drilling
202 Andrew Street, Eduanpark Parking St, Polokwane Ext 7, Polokwane, 0699, South Africa
4.8 out of 5
45 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Odiele Borehole Drilling
21 Truro Ave, Nirvana, Polokwane, 0699, South Africa
4.9 out of 5
35 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Sterkloop Drilling & Water Solutions
Plot 60 Church Street Entrance at Pavillion Restaurant Ivy Park, Polokwane, 0699, South Africa
4.2 out of 5
5 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Matoks Drilling
145 Blaauwberg St, Annadale, Polokwane, 0700, South Africa
4 out of 5
4 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Re Bora Meetse Drilling Boreholes
93 Bok St, Polokwane Central, Polokwane, 0699, South Africa
5 out of 5
2 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Geology and drilling conditions in Polokwane
Polokwane sits on crystalline basement rock (granite-gneiss). The British Geological Survey describes groundwater in these rocks as found in the shallow weathered zone and in fractures, with low productivity and typically low yields, so success depends on a survey that finds fractured or weathered ground. Yields vary from site to site and a dry or low-yield borehole is a real risk. Studies in Limpopo have found high fluoride and a band of high-nitrate groundwater, so water quality needs testing.
This is a regional picture. Which rock your plot is on, and what it will yield, only a site survey and test drilling can show.
Borehole water quality in Polokwane
A study at Siloam in Limpopo found groundwater fluoride of 3.92 to 4.95 mg/L against the SANS 241 limit of 1.5 mg/L, and a 2000 paper describes a wide band of high-nitrate groundwater running from the Northern Cape through North West into Limpopo. Test fluoride and nitrate first, then E. coli and total dissolved solids.
SANS 241 tests to ask for first in Limpopo
- Fluoride: 1.5 mg/L or less (chronic health)
- Nitrate: 11 mg/L as N or less (acute health)
- E. coli: not detected in 100 mL (acute health)
- Total dissolved solids: 1,200 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
- Chloride: 300 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
Whatever the province, the baseline checks are E. coli, nitrate, pH and total dissolved solids. Only a lab test tells you what your water holds.
Water quality guide · Is borehole water safe to drink? · Water filters and treatment
Borehole permits and rules in Polokwane
Under the National Water Act, taking borehole water for reasonable domestic use on your own property is a Schedule 1 use: no water use licence and, according to DWS, no national registration. Other uses can fall under the General Authorisation or need a licence. Municipal by-laws still apply on top of this. Ask the DWS regional office and Polokwane Municipality about commercial use. We have not confirmed any Polokwane borehole by-law, so ask the municipality before you drill.
Rules change and we are not your lawyer. Check the municipality's current process before you drill.
Read the permits and regulations guide →Questions to ask before you hire
- 1Can I have a written quote that says what is included: siting survey, drilling per metre, casing, yield test, pump, tank, VAT and any minimum charge?
- 2What happens if the borehole is dry or yields very little? Is there a minimum charge, and is it in writing?
- 3Who does the siting survey, and is it a SACNASP-registered hydrogeologist or geophysicist?
- 4Can I speak to recent customers, and can I see a driller's log or completion report from a recent job?
- 5Does the company belong to the Borehole Water Association of Southern Africa, and does it follow SANS 10299 (design, construction and drilling of boreholes)?
- 6Will you do a yield test (test pumping), how long will it run, and will I get the results?
- 7How will you handle my municipality's rules, and do you submit borehole data to the DWS National Groundwater Archive?
- 8Which laboratory will test the water against SANS 241, and will the results come to me?
- 9Do you carry public liability insurance, and can you show proof? Is there a written guarantee on workmanship, and what does it cover?
Pump installation, water filtration and equipping are usually quoted separately from drilling.
Areas this page covers (Polokwane Municipality)
Nearby places with their own rules
These towns are in other municipalities with different rock and different rules. Thohoyandou has its own page.
Borehole drilling in other cities
Borehole drilling Thohoyandou
Limpopo · 10 listed companies
Borehole drilling Johannesburg
Gauteng · 40 listed companies
Borehole drilling Cape Town
Western Cape · 29 listed companies
Borehole drilling Pretoria
Gauteng · 15 listed companies
Borehole drilling Gqeberha
Eastern Cape · 6 listed companies
Borehole drilling Durban
KwaZulu-Natal · 5 listed companies
Sources
- OurPower borehole drilling cost guide, city table (updated 1 October 2026) (city totals, per-metre rates and typical depths; a price-guide page, not quotes)
- British Geological Survey: hydrogeology of South Africa (typical yields, depths and water quality by rock type)
- Onipe, Edokpayi and Odiyo (2021): fluoride in groundwater of the Siloam area, Limpopo (borehole depths, water levels and fluoride about 45 km west of Thohoyandou)
- Tredoux, Talma and Engelbrecht (2000): the increasing nitrate hazard in groundwater in rural areas (band of high nitrate groundwater from the Northern Cape to Limpopo)
- National Water Act 36 of 1998, DWS copy (Schedule 1) (reasonable domestic use and by-laws)
- General Authorisation for taking and storing water, Government Notice 538 of 2016 (non-domestic use, registration above 10 cubic metres a day)
- Rekord, 22 July 2026: borehole registration not required for domestic use, department confirms (news report: DWS statement and Tshwane requirements)
- SANS 241-1:2015 drinking water limits (laboratory transcription) (limits quoted on this page)
Request borehole quotes in Polokwane
Send one request and, with your consent, we pass it to listed drilling companies in your area so they can quote. Each company sets its own prices and decides whether and when to reply, and we cannot promise how many will.
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