Seedlings & garden plants

Seedlings and garden plants in South Africa

Updated 4 November 2026

Seedlings and garden plants in South Africa cost from about R 33 for a single basil seedling and R 59 for a pack of eight vegetable and herb seedlings, while a 17 cm potted perennial costs about R 120 to R 125. These are approximate prices from sellers' websites, November 2026. For a current price on the plants you need, make a request on BlaBlaPrice.

Nursery certification and plant rules

The Plant Improvement Act provides for the registration of plant material facilities and sets minimum standards for premises and for plants and propagating material other than seed. A nursery-certification scheme audits nurseries on how they grow seedlings every year, so you can ask a nursery whether it is certified. Plant breeders' rights last 25 years for trees and vines and 20 years for annual varieties. Plant imports carry specific phytosanitary requirements, so check them before you order from abroad.

Season and planting time

Summer runs December to February and winter June to August, so November is the planting-out month for warm-season vegetables and herbs such as tomato and basil. Cool-season seedlings, such as lettuce, go out in the cooler months of June to August. Ask for pot sizes in centimetres and plant counts per tray or box, so you know what you get for the season.

Pack size and delivery

Plants are sold by pot size in centimetres (12 cm, 17 cm, 21 cm) and by the number of seedlings per pack, tray or box (8, 30, 100 or 200). Compare the price per seedling rather than per box. Give your delivery city, which can be Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria or Gqeberha, and ask how the trays are packed for transport.

What to write in your request

Give the plant, the grade or age, the quantity, the size (seedling or potted plant in cm), the root system, the purpose (vegetable bed, pot, hedge or shade), the growing site, your delivery city and your budget in rand, for example R 600. Sellers quote more accurately when the size and quantity are clear.

BlaBlaPrice is free for buyers. Describe the plants you need in your own words in a chat, and add a photo if you have one. The AI asks for missing details, looks through sellers' websites and price lists in South Africa, and shows the prices and businesses it found. Sellers registered on BlaBlaPrice reply in the chat with their offer, and your contacts stay hidden until you decide. Start on the request page, or browse Seeds and Garden & allotment.