Cost · drilling
What a borehole costs in South Africa in 2026
Drilling is priced per metre and you pay whether the driller finds water or not. We collected the prices owners reported, and added the pump, tank and plumbing that make the water usable.
By Borehole Payback · updated 24 October 2026
Will a borehole pay for itself?
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Garden water from each metro's average 2021–2025 weather; 2026/27 water and sewage tariffs incl. VAT; pump electricity at R3.50 per kWh. Drilling at R1 000 per metre incl. casing.
What our numbers show
Prices reported by owners on MyBroadband 2018–2024 and the Borehole Water Association's estimate
- Owners on MyBroadband reported paying or being quoted R500 to R1 375 per metre for drilling, often including casing; the Borehole Water Association estimates R600 to R900 per metre before other costs.
- With a pump, a 5 000 l tank, plumbing and a water test, a 60 m borehole costs about R94 500 in our model, a 30 m one R64 500 and a 100 m one R134 500.
- Depth matters more than anything else: every extra 10 m adds about R10 000 of drilling and a little more pumping cost.
- You pay for a dry hole too. Drillers usually ask for full payment before they start; owners recommend a geohydrological survey, which one owner put at about R20 000 for a site with a high chance of water.
Cost by depth
| Depth | Drilling incl. casing | Pump, tank, plumbing, test | Total | Pump electricity per kl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 m | R20 000 | R34 500 | R54 500 | R1.19 |
| 40 m | R40 000 | R34 500 | R74 500 | R1.67 |
| 60 m | R60 000 | R34 500 | R94 500 | R2.15 |
| 80 m | R80 000 | R34 500 | R114 500 | R2.62 |
| 100 m | R100 000 | R34 500 | R134 500 | R3.10 |
| 150 m | R150 000 | R34 500 | R184 500 | R4.29 |
Drilling at R1 000 per metre including casing; pump R20 000, 5 000 l tank R5 000, plumbing and electrics R8 000, water test R1 500 (our allowances from reported prices). Pump electricity per kl at R3.50 per kWh.
What the price includes
- Drilling: charged per metre; casing (steel or PVC pipe lining the hole) is often priced separately per metre.
- Siting: a geohydrological survey lowers the risk of a dry hole; drillers charge for the metres drilled whether there is water or not.
- Yield test: pumping the hole for some hours to measure how much water it can give, which decides the pump size.
- Pump and controller: a submersible pump sized to the depth and yield; solar pumps cost more.
- Tank, plumbing and electrics to store and distribute the water.
- Water test: needed before any household use of the water.
Metro of the week: eThekwini (Durban)
A household in eThekwini (Durban) using 30 kl of municipal water a month pays about R2 253 a month for water and sewage under the 2026/27 tariffs. A 60 m borehole watering a 250 m² garden would save about R4 769 a year after pump electricity and upkeep, and pay back in 19.8 years.