There is no single mandatory trade licence for borehole drillers or pump installers in South Africa. Boreholes are regulated under the National Water Act 36 of 1998 (the NWA), administered by the Department of Water and Sanitation (the DWS). The key point for your client: depending on how much water they draw, the property owner, not you the driller, may need a water-use authorisation. Your job is to drill or equip the hole correctly and to point the client at the right authorisation.
The NWA is the National Water Act, the main law governing water use. The DWS is the Department of Water and Sanitation, the national body that administers it. The BWA is the Borehole Water Association, a voluntary industry body.
How to register and get licensed
There is no government body that directly licenses borehole drillers, but a few things shape the compliance picture.
Water-use authorisation (the client's responsibility). Depending on the abstraction volume, the water user may need to:
- Operate under Schedule 1 of the NWA, which covers small domestic use and needs no registration.
- Register under the General Authorisation for the relevant quaternary catchment.
- Apply for a Water Use Licence, often called a WULA, for volumes above the General Authorisation limit.
You should be able to advise the client which of these applies, but the application sits with them as the water user.
Drilling versus pump-and-pipe. These are two separate trades. Drilling contractors need drilling rigs and hydrogeological knowledge and carry heavy capital costs. Pump-and-pipe installers, who equip the hole, need to know how to size a submersible pump against the borehole yield and the water quality results. Most start-ups enter through the pump-and-pipe side because the capital is far lower.
Proposed regulations. The DWS published proposed regulations in Government Gazette in December 2025 that would require borehole testing to comply with SANS 10299. These are proposed, not yet law, so treat the SANS 10299 testing rule as forthcoming rather than settled.
Borehole Water Association (BWA). Membership at bwa.co.za is voluntary but worth having. The BWA brings together government departments, equipment manufacturers, drilling contractors and consultants. Membership gives your clients recourse, signals that you take the work seriously, and gives you access to the BWA model contract for borehole works.
Where the science comes in. There is no single prescribed NQF route. Typical pathways are mentored drilling experience with an established contractor, and pump-selection courses from manufacturers such as Grundfos or KSB. Site selection and yield assessment are usually done by a registered Professional Natural Scientist or Professional Geologist registered with SACNASP or the GSSA.
The standards you work to
The key standard is SANS 10299, "Development, maintenance and management of groundwater resources", which comes in several parts. SANS stands for South African National Standard.
- SANS 10299-1 covers general requirements for borehole construction.
- SANS 10299-2 covers the design and construction of water boreholes.
- SANS 10299-3 covers the monitoring of groundwater.
- SANS 10299-4 (2003) covers the test pumping of water boreholes and is the part most cited for pump installers, specifying calibration tests, step-drawdown tests and constant-rate discharge tests.
The standards are reviewed about every five years and can only be bought from the SABS at sabs.co.za.
Kit and start-up costs (estimates)
All figures below are estimates, so verify with suppliers before you rely on them.
For a drilling contractor (heavier capital, not for most start-ups):
- A light rotary drilling rig, second-hand: around R300,000 to R800,000.
- Drill rods, bits and casing: around R50,000 to R150,000.
- BWA membership: contact bwa.co.za for the current fee.
For a pump-and-pipe installer (lower capital entry):
- Submersible pump installation tools: around R15,000 to R30,000.
- A pump test kit (data logger, flow meter): around R8,000 to R20,000.
- Pipe fittings and borehole cable stock: around R5,000 to R15,000.
- Water-quality testing outsourced to a SANAS-accredited lab: around R1,500 to R3,000 per sample.
- SANS 10299-4 from the SABS: around R500 to R800 for the standard.
What you can charge (estimates)
These are indicative ranges only and are heavily location-dependent. They are not published rates.
- Borehole drilling: around R600 to R900 per metre as a national average. The Northern Cape runs lower at around R300 to R500 per metre, while Port Elizabeth can reach up to R1,500 per metre.
- A 60-metre residential borehole, drilling only: around R36,000 to R54,000.
- A complete system (drilling plus pump plus casing): around R30,000 to R100,000 for residential, with commercial going past R200,000.
- Pump installation only: around R5,000 to R25,000.
- Annual maintenance: around R1,000 to R2,500.
If your turnover grows past R2.3 million in any 12-month period, VAT registration becomes compulsory. That threshold took effect on 1 April 2026.
Common mistakes
- Telling the client they need a licence to drill. There is no single mandatory driller licence. The authorisation question is about water use, and it sits with the client.
- Ignoring abstraction volume. Small domestic use sits under Schedule 1 with no registration, but larger draws need a General Authorisation or a Water Use Licence. Get this wrong and the client is using water unlawfully.
- Treating the Dec-2025 SANS 10299 testing rule as settled. It is in proposed DWS regulations, not yet law.
- Buying a rig before you have the work. The pump-and-pipe side needs far less capital and is the usual start-up entry point.
- Skipping water-quality testing. Use a SANAS-accredited lab so the result stands up.
Know someone who needs this?
Keep reading
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? SADAG 0800 567 567 ·