Province directory
Borehole Drilling in Northern Cape
5 borehole drilling companies are listed in Northern Cape from public information, with notes on geology, water quality, permits and prices. We have not verified any of them.
Last reviewed . Prices and geology are indications from the sources listed at the foot of the page.
What to know about boreholes in Northern Cape
Geology and what to expect
We have not sourced a geology summary for the Northern Cape. Where Karoo rocks occur, the British Geological Survey reports typical borehole yields of 1 to 3 L/s and salinity that is highest in the west and south of the basin. Ask your driller what the survey and nearby boreholes show, and remember that a dry or low-yield borehole is a real risk.
These are regional pictures. Depths and yields vary widely within a suburb, only a site survey and the driller's log can tell you what your plot will give, and a borehole can be dry.
Borehole drilling prices in Northern Cape
One online price guide gives R320 to R580 per metre and R44,000 to R105,000 for a typical project, with typical depths of 50 to 130 m.
The price guide lists Kimberley only. We found no price source for Kathu, Postmasburg or other towns.
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.
Water quality and SANS 241 priorities
A 2000 paper describes a wide band of high-nitrate groundwater starting in the Northern Cape and running northeast through North West into Limpopo, and the British Geological Survey reports high Karoo salinity in the west. We found no Northern Cape-specific water-quality source. Test nitrate, total dissolved solids, chloride and sulphate, plus E. coli.
- E. coli: not detected in 100 mL (acute health)
- Nitrate: 11 mg/L as N or less (acute health)
- Total dissolved solids: 1,200 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
- Chloride: 300 mg/L or less (aesthetic)
- Sulphate: 500 mg/L (acute health) and 250 mg/L (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.
Permits and rules
National Water Act rules apply: reasonable domestic use on your own property is a Schedule 1 use (no licence and, according to DWS, no national registration), and other uses can fall under the General Authorisation or need a licence. Municipal by-laws still apply. We have not confirmed any municipal borehole by-law in this province, so ask your municipality before you drill.
Rules change and we are not your lawyer. Check your municipality's current process before you drill.
Read the permits and regulations guide →5 borehole drilling companies listed in Northern Cape
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.
Booysen Bore Drilling Co (Pty) Ltd
Kathu, Northern Cape
4.5 out of 5
22 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Watersolutions Drilling Pty (Ltd)
Kimberley, Northern Cape
3.9 out of 5
8 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
Booysen Bore - Postmasburg
Postmasburg, Northern Cape
4.1 out of 5
7 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
jlb drilling
Kimberley, Northern Cape
5 out of 5
2 reviews
Google rating, early 2026
HOPE & FORTUNE DRILLING
Kimberley, Northern Cape
1 out of 5
1 review
Google rating, early 2026
Places in Northern Cape with listed companies
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?
Not sure what rules apply to you? Start with the permits and regulations guide.
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)
- 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)
- SANS 241-1:2015 drinking water limits (laboratory transcription) (limits quoted on this page)
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