Borehole Drilling Prices by Province
Borehole drilling prices in Gauteng, the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the other provinces, with a Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban comparison.
Last reviewed . Figures are market indications from published 2026 South African price guides, not quotes.
Borehole Cost: Johannesburg vs Cape Town vs Durban vs Pretoria
Two published guides give a total for each city. They measure slightly different things, so read them as a band rather than a single price.
| City | Drilling Per Metre | Typical Depth | Project Total (Ourpower) | Typical Complete Installation (Waterpoint SA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johannesburg | R350 - R650 | 40-120m | R55,000 - R130,000 | R60,000 - R100,000 |
| Pretoria | R380 - R700 | 50-130m | R60,000 - R140,000 | R60,000 - R100,000 |
| Cape Town | R380 - R750 | 30-120m | R50,000 - R140,000 | R55,000 - R95,000 |
| Durban | R320 - R600 | 30-90m | R45,000 - R110,000 | R65,000 - R110,000 |
Per-metre rates, typical depths and project totals are from Ourpower, updated 1 October 2026. Complete installation totals are from Waterpoint SA, July 2026. Neither source lists exactly what is included, so ask each driller what the price covers. Depths are indicative and vary widely within a suburb. Drillers in each city are listed underdrilling companies by city.
Cape Town by region
| Region | Per Metre | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Suburbs and Atlantic Seaboard | R565 - R750+ | R80,000 - R140,000 |
| Northern Suburbs (Durbanville, Bellville, Welgemoed) | R400 - R1,000 | R60,000 - R120,000 |
| Winelands (Stellenbosch, Paarl, Franschhoek) | R400 - R900 | R45,000 - R95,000 (typical 48m borehole) |
Waterpoint SA, September 2026. Hard Table Mountain sandstone and granite are slow to drill and case.
Fully equipped systems and real quotes
- A fully equipped 60m system is estimated at R99,000 - R158,000 in northern Johannesburg and R75,000 - R140,000 in Pretoria East (Borehole Hub market estimates).
- The same guide holds two dated 2026 installer quotes that run lower: drilling at R320 per metre in Pretoria, with a full package (pump, 5,000 litre tank, pressure pump, filtration, UV steriliser and installation) at R65,000 - R70,000, and a KZN South Coast quote with R7,000 for site establishment.
- Across all four cities the spread comes from rock type, water-table depth and, in parts of Gauteng, dolomite assessments.
Province by Province
Only some provinces have published figures. Where a province is shown with a city, the numbers are for that city. Depths and water levels here are indicative ranges from regional geology. They vary widely within a suburb and with season and pumping. Only a site survey and test drilling can tell you what your plot will give.
Gauteng
Greater Johannesburg sits on three very different aquifers. Karstic dolomite occurs in parts of the north and west, where some boreholes are high-yielding but dry holes and sinkhole risk are real. Weathered and fractured Witwatersrand and Ventersdorp rocks cover much of the central metro. Granite-gneiss of the Johannesburg Dome underlies the northern half of the dome and typically gives low yields. One guide quotes R1,000 - R1,500 per metre on the northern Johannesburg granite belt.
Note: Dolomite underlies large parts of southern Tshwane (Centurion, Irene), where drilling is tightly managed because of sinkholes. One guide says drilling is prohibited without a certified professional assessment in more than 20 Tshwane suburbs, and another puts a dolomite stability assessment at R5,000 - R15,000 and 2 to 4 weeks.
Western Cape
The Cape Flats Aquifer is a shallow sandy aquifer with a high water table, often only a few metres below ground, so wellpoints and shallow boreholes are common and the water is easily polluted. Table Mountain Group sandstone aquifers occur in the mountains and Peninsula, where boreholes are deeper and the water can be acidic and iron-rich.
Note: Check the City of Cape Town rules before you drill: municipal by-laws are separate from national registration. See our permits guide.
KwaZulu-Natal
Durban geology is mixed: Natal Group sandstone, Dwyka tillite, Ecca shale and thin coastal sands. Yields range from poor in the shales and tillite to good in sandstone and thicker coastal sands, so results vary a lot from plot to plot.
Note: Pietermaritzburg sits on Ecca shale, where borehole yields are generally very low. A dated 2026 installer quote on the KZN South Coast lists drilling at R320 per metre below the top 12m, with R7,000 for site establishment.
Limpopo
Borehole drilling prices in Limpopo are quoted around Polokwane, which sits on crystalline basement (granite-gneiss). Yield depends strongly on hitting fractured or weathered zones near dykes and lineaments, so yields are often modest and success varies from site to site.
Note: Fluoride and nitrate are common quality problems in Limpopo groundwater, so test the water before you drink it.
North West
Rustenburg lies on the Bushveld Complex, an igneous intrusion. Groundwater occurs in a weathered zone and in fractured bedrock, so yields vary from site to site. Dolomite occurs as local outliers and further west and south, for example around Mahikeng and Lichtenburg.
Note: Platinum and chrome mine dewatering has already reduced groundwater in parts of the Rustenburg area, so a proper site assessment and a full water test matter.
Free State
Bloemfontein sits on Karoo sandstone and mudstone with dolerite sills and dykes. Karoo aquifers are generally low to moderate yielding.
Note: Boreholes sited on fractured zones or around dolerite contacts can do better, but results are very variable and a dry or low-yield hole is a real risk.
Mpumalanga
Geology varies across the province and includes coal-bearing rocks in the mining areas. Yields vary from site to site, and mining can affect water quality.
Note: In coal mining areas, a comprehensive water quality test is essential.
Eastern Cape
Geology differs between the coast and the Karoo interior, and yields vary from site to site.
Note: A site survey and test pumping are the only reliable guide to what a plot will yield.
Northern Cape
Much of the province is arid. Depth to water and water quality vary widely, and salinity, nitrate and fluoride are worth testing for.
Note: A site survey and a full water test are especially important here.
Get an Accurate Price for Your Area
These are market indications, not quotes. For a price based on your location and geology, request quotes and we pass them to drilling companies listed for your area. We have not inspected the companies, so compare quotes and ask for references.
Sources
- Ourpower: borehole drilling cost tool (per-metre rates, typical depths and project totals by city, dolomite assessments)
- Waterpoint SA: borehole drilling in Gauteng (complete installation totals, typical Gauteng depths, Tshwane dolomite rule)
- Waterpoint SA: Cape Town borehole costs 2026 (Cape Town regional rates and totals)
- Borehole Hub: borehole prices 2026 (fully equipped 60m systems, dated installer quotes)
- DWS Johannesburg 1:500 000 hydrogeological map brochure (dolomite, Bushveld and Witwatersrand aquifer descriptions)