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Solar borehole pump prices
By Ironstone Boreholes. Updated 20 October 2026.
A solar borehole pump kit (the pump and its controller) costs about R6,000 to R17,000 for a household borehole at South African stores in October 2026, and from about R44,000 for a big 2.5 kW pump. Panels, pipe, cable and fitting are usually extra. Supplied and installed with panels, a household system comes to about R25,000 to R80,000, depending on how deep the pump hangs and how much water you need a day. An electric submersible pump fitted on the same hole costs R8,000 to R13,000, but stops when the power does.
- Small kit, 0.2–0.3 kW
- R6,000–R10,000
- Household kit, 0.75–1.1 kW
- R10,000–R17,000
- Installed with panels, home
- R25,000–R80,000
- Panels needed
- 1.3–1.5 W per pump W
Solar borehole pump kit prices in South Africa
These are the prices on the stores’ own product pages on 20 October 2026, VAT included unless the store doesn’t say. Most kits are the pump and controller only.
| Kit and store | Price | Pump size | What’s in the box |
|---|---|---|---|
| JoJo 3” solar borehole pump kit JoJo | R5,999 | 0.21 kW | Pump, controller and probes. No panel (one 330 W panel recommended) |
| Meyland full solar kit SP95 Meyland | R9,950 | 0.27 kW | Pump, controller and a solar panel. Up to 95 m, about 1,500 litres an hour |
| Vega 3HR 300-100 kit M Bond Pumps | R9,255 | 0.3 kW | Pump and controller. Panels extra (about 600 W). Up to 100 m |
| Vega 3HR 750-140 kit M Bond Pumps | R10,118 | 0.75 kW | Pump and controller. Panels extra (about 1,200 W). Up to 140 m |
| Bovem 140 solar DC 1000 W Pumps Africa | R11,490 | 1.0 kW | Pump. Up to 120 m, about 2,700 litres an hour. Panels extra |
| Vega 4” 4SD4/8 pumpset kit M Bond Pumps | R16,621 | 1.1 kW | Pump and hybrid controller (solar or mains). Panels extra |
| Grundfos SQF 3-105 N M Bond Pumps | R44,341 | 2.5 kW | Pump with built-in controller. Panels extra (about 3,000 W). Up to 145 m |
Store prices change often and many of these were sale prices on the day. A kit price is not the price of a working system: you still need the panels, the drop pipe and cable, a mount for the panels and someone to lower the pump and wire it.
How much is a solar borehole pump installed?
| Pump size | Installed with panels | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 0.37–0.75 kW | R25,000–R45,000 | House and garden, shallower boreholes |
| 0.75–1.5 kW | R45,000–R80,000 | Bigger house, deeper boreholes, small plots |
| 2.2–4 kW | R80,000–R120,000 | Smallholdings, livestock, irrigation |
The installed price covers the pump, controller, panels, panel mount and a standard installation. A long cable run from the panels to the borehole, a tank and stand, or a pressure pump for the house add to it. If the borehole isn’t drilled yet, see borehole drilling prices and a sample borehole drilling quotation.
What size solar pump do I need?
- How deep it hangs. The pump must lift water from below the lowest water level to the top of the tank. Check the kit’s maximum head is well above that.
- How much water you need a day. A solar pump only pumps while the sun is up, about 6 to 7 good hours. Divide your daily need by that to get the flow you need.
- What the borehole can give. A pump that pulls more than the borehole’s tested yield runs it dry.
As a guide, a 0.2 to 0.5 kW pump suits a house on a shallow to medium borehole; 0.75 to 1.1 kW suits deeper holes and bigger gardens; past that you are into smallholdings and irrigation.
How many solar panels does a borehole pump need?
Plan for a panel array of about 1.3 to 1.5 times the pump’s power, so the pump still runs on a hazy morning. A 750 W pump needs roughly 1,000 to 1,200 W of panels, which is three 400 W panels; a 1.5 kW pump needs about five or six. Deeper water needs more: one guide puts it at 100 to 150 W of panel for every 10 m of lift.
Solar or electric borehole pump?
An electric submersible pump costs less up front (R8,000 to R13,000 fitted, see borehole pump prices) and pumps at any hour, but it stops in load-shedding and adds to your power bill. A solar pump costs more up front, runs free, and keeps working when the power is off. It pumps less on cloudy days and nothing at night, so pair it with a tank that holds at least a day or two of water. A hybrid controller lets the same pump run from solar by day and the mains at night.
Get a solar pump priced for your borehole
We size solar pumps from your borehole’s depth, yield and how much water you use, then price the whole system: pump, panels, mount, cable and fitting. Send us the depth on WhatsApp, or if you need the hole drilled too, start with the quote tool.
Questions people ask
How much is a solar borehole pump kit in South Africa?
About R6,000 to R17,000 for the pump and controller for a household borehole in October 2026, and from about R44,000 for a 2.5 kW pump. Panels, cable, pipe and fitting are usually extra.
How much does a solar borehole pump cost installed?
About R25,000 to R45,000 for a 0.37 to 0.75 kW system and R45,000 to R80,000 for 0.75 to 1.5 kW, with panels and a standard installation, VAT included.
How many solar panels do I need for a borehole pump?
About 1.3 to 1.5 watts of panel for every watt of pump. A 750 W pump needs about three 400 W panels; a 1.5 kW pump needs five or six.
Does a solar borehole pump work at night or on cloudy days?
Not at night, and it pumps less on cloudy days. Store a day or two of water in a tank, or use a hybrid controller that switches to mains power when the sun is gone.
Related
Where these numbers come from
- JoJo: JoJo 3” solar borehole pump kit, price on 20 October 2026
- Meyland: Meyland full solar kit SP95, price on 20 October 2026
- M Bond Pumps: Vega 3HR 300-100 kit, price on 20 October 2026
- M Bond Pumps: Vega 3HR 750-140 kit, price on 20 October 2026
- Pumps Africa: Bovem 140 solar DC 1000 W, price on 20 October 2026
- M Bond Pumps: Vega 4” 4SD4/8 pumpset kit, price on 20 October 2026
- M Bond Pumps: Grundfos SQF 3-105 N, price on 20 October 2026
- EnergyBee: Solar borehole pumps in South Africa, installed prices (20 July 2026)
- BoreholeHub: Solar borehole pump guide (9 April 2026)
- Ironstone Boreholes drilling and pump rates for Limpopo, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, last updated 12 October 2026
Get a price for your borehole
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.