Drilling rigs for sale and hire in South Africa
A drilling rig in South Africa costs from about R 62,500 for a small portable water-well machine and from about R 4,360,000 for a tunnelling jumbo. Mid-size core and mining rigs sit between roughly R 600,000 and R 2,000,000. These are approximate ranges from sellers' websites in November 2026, and the fastest way to get a price for your job is to describe it on BlaBlaPrice.
Approximate prices in South Africa, November 2026 (sellers' websites)| Type of rig | Price range |
|---|
| Portable water-well rig, up to 150 m | R 62,500 – R 180,000 |
| Crawler water-well rig, about 200 m | about R 210,000 |
| Mining core or DTH rig | R 600,000 – R 2,000,000 |
| Tunnelling jumbo rig | R 4,360,000 – R 4,690,000 |
Permits and rules to check first
Drilling for water is regulated. Proposed regulations under the National Water Act aim to control certain borehole-drilling activities, and a city can require a drilling contractor to register with it; equipment that does not comply can be impounded. For oil and gas wells, the Petroleum Agency asks for specific documents before drilling starts. A drill rig certificate has to be renewed, and one renewal quote is between R 1,200 and R 2,000, depending on the expiry date and the operator's experience. Ask any seller which certificate the rig holds and who the named operator is.
Season and timing
Summer runs from December to February and winter from June to August, so November is the month before the summer season. If the hole has to be finished before December, ask sellers for a delivery date now rather than after the holidays. Plan site access and water supply around these seasons, because they set the schedule for most outdoor drilling jobs.
How rigs are sold and delivered
Rigs are priced per machine, not per metre drilled, and the listings vary a lot. Many of the cheapest offers are overseas-built units, so confirm whether the price includes delivery to your site in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria or Gqeberha, and whether you are buying ex-works. Specifications come in metric units: depth in metres, hole diameter in millimetres, and power in horsepower (35HP, 77HP) or kilowatts (173kW, 194kW). For a hire, ask whether the rate is per day or per week and whether an operator is included.
What to write in your request
Say whether you want to buy or rent, and what the drilling is for: water, core sampling, mining or piling. Give the target depth in metres, the hole diameter in millimetres, and whether you need a new or used rig. Add the year you prefer, the chassis type your site can handle, the city where the rig must arrive and your budget. Detail like this helps sellers quote a price that fits the job from the first reply.
You can get offers for a drilling rig through BlaBlaPrice for free. Describe the job in your own words in the chat and add a photo if you have one. The assistant asks for anything missing, looks through sellers' websites and price lists in South Africa and shows the prices and businesses it finds. Sellers registered on BlaBlaPrice reply in the chat with their own price, terms and delivery, and your contacts stay hidden until you decide who to share them with. See how BlaBlaPrice works, or browse heavy equipment.
