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Borehole drilling in Stellenbosch
A typical borehole in Stellenbosch is drilled to about 65 m and costs about R46,825 with steel casing at the top, PVC casing and a pump, at R380 a metre, our Cape Town rate. Government monitoring boreholes around Stellenbosch put the water at a median 6.7 m below ground, and 94% of the readings are within 20 m of the surface. A site visit confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling.
By Ironstone Boreholes. Updated 26 October 2026.
- Water below ground (median)
- 6.7 m
- Typical borehole
- 65 m
- Drilling rate
- R380 /m
- Lined and pumping
- R46,825
How much does borehole drilling cost in Stellenbosch?
A 65 m borehole in Stellenbosch comes to about R46,825, lined and pumping, at the same rates our quote tool uses (checked 25 October 2026). Stellenbosch is priced at our Cape Town rate of R380 a metre; where the hole runs into hard rock, drilling costs up to R460 a metre.
| What you pay for | Price |
|---|---|
| Drilling, 65 m at R380 a metre | R24,700 |
| Steel casing at the top | R1,500 |
| PVC casing, 65 m | R9,425 |
| Pump for a 65 m hole | R11,200 |
| Borehole, lined and pumping | R46,825 |
Every 10 m deeper or shallower moves the price by about R5,250, plus a bigger or smaller pump. Water to the house usually adds a 5,000-litre tank (R6,940), a 3.5 m stand installed (R21,800) and a pressure pump (R2,950). Full price breakdown: borehole drilling prices.
How deep is the water around Stellenbosch?
Close to the surface. The government’s monitoring boreholes around Stellenbosch put the water at a median of 6.7 m below ground, against a national median of 12 m. The middle half of readings sit between 4 m and 11 m, and 94% are within 20 m. Latest readings run from 2016 to 2026.
That is the level the water stands at, not the depth of the hole. A borehole goes well past it, so the pump stays covered through a dry summer and enough water flows in: our quote tool prices an address in central Stellenbosch at about 65 m. Stellenbosch is in the Boland, where water in the mountains sits in hard sandstone that needs a drilled borehole, so the site visit decides where the hole goes and how deep.
For how depth is decided anywhere in the country, see how deep is a borehole.
Borehole or wellpoint in Stellenbosch?
Where a plot sits on sand with water a few metres down, a wellpoint, a narrow pipe driven into the sand, can be enough to water a garden. It is cheaper but gives less water. A borehole goes into rock, gives more water and holds up better in dry summers, and it is what a house, a smallholding or a farm needs. The site visit tells you which your ground allows.
Is borehole water around Stellenbosch safe to drink?
Of the boreholes the government tested in 2025 within about 50 km of Stellenbosch, about 1 in 7 were over the salt limit and about 1 in 5 over the manganese limit, every one of them 16 km or more from town; iron was rarely over its limit. Salty water is hard on geysers and gardens, and manganese stains basins black, so test before you choose pipes, a pump and a filter, and before anyone drinks it. A lab test costs R800 to R2,500, and a filter matched to the result costs R5,000 to R15,000. See borehole water testing.
Do you need permission to drill in Stellenbosch?
Household use from your own borehole needs no licence from the Department of Water and Sanitation. Stellenbosch has its own municipality, so the City of Cape Town’s 14-day notice and sign rules don’t apply here; ask Stellenbosch Municipality whether it wants the borehole registered before you drill. What applies nationally is on borehole registration and permits.
Questions people ask
How much does a borehole cost in Stellenbosch?
About R46,825 for a 65 m borehole with steel casing at the top, PVC casing and a pump, at R380 a metre. A tank, stand and pressure pump to get water to the house add about R31,690. The site visit sets the final price.
Should I get a wellpoint or a borehole in Stellenbosch?
A wellpoint suits sandy ground with water a few metres down and is fine for a garden. A borehole goes into rock, gives more water and holds up better in dry summers, but costs more. The site visit checks your ground before you choose.
Do I need permission to drill a borehole in Stellenbosch?
Household use needs no licence from the Department of Water and Sanitation. Stellenbosch has its own municipality, so the City of Cape Town’s notice and sign rules do not apply; ask Stellenbosch Municipality whether it wants the borehole registered before you drill.
Related
Where these numbers come from
- Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS): National Groundwater Archive, groundwater-level monitoring and water-quality results supplied to us by DWS GeoRequests, September and October 2026
- Ironstone Boreholes drilling and pump rates by city and province, last updated 25 October 2026
- National Water Act 36 of 1998, Schedule 1 (permissible use of water)
Get a price for your borehole in Stellenbosch
Type your address and see the price line by line, with the water records around your plot. A site visit confirms the spot, the depth and the final price before any drilling starts.