Cherry picker hire in Cape Town
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Cherry picker hire prices in Cape Town
Every cherry picker comes with a certified operator (code C53) and a current load-test certificate. Prices exclude VAT; delivery is its own line.
| Working height | Cape Town job | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 12–15 m | Double-storey gutters, signs, security lights, trees | R2,400–R4,000 |
| 16–17 m | Three-storey facades, warehouse cladding and gutters | R4,150–R7,900 |
| 20–25 m | Four- to six-storey blocks, high signs, tall trees | about R8,200 |
| 50 m+ | City-centre towers, glazing and facade work high up | about R16,500 |
The 12–15 m class also goes by the week (R11,500–R12,500) and month (R32,500–R37,000), which suits painting and glazing contracts. Cape Town is one of the main centres we send machines from. Transport for a cherry picker there and back usually comes to R1,300–R3,840, shown as its own line on your quote.
Example: one day, 16–17 m, in Durbanville
Cleaning and resealing the gutters on a three-storey office block.
| Example quote (for illustration only) | Amount |
|---|---|
| 16–17 m cherry picker, 1 day at R4,150–R7,900 a day with operator | R4,150–R7,900 |
| Transport both ways to Durbanville | R1,300–R3,840 |
| Example total, excl. VAT | R5,450–R11,740 |
What Cape Town hires cherry pickers for
City centre and Foreshore
Signage, glazing, facade repairs and lighting on office blocks and hotels. Machines often work from the street, which needs the City's permission and traffic control.
Atlantic seaboard
Sea air is hard on paint, sealant and steel, so facades, balconies and window frames from Green Point to Camps Bay need regular upkeep. Streets are steep and narrow: a trailer unit only 1.45 m wide (Genie TZ-34/20 or similar) fits where a truck can't.
Northern suburbs
Shop signs, parking-lot lights, CCTV and complex gutters around Bellville, Durbanville and Brackenfell.
Industrial areas
High-bay lights, cladding, roof leaks and gutters on warehouses in Epping, Stikland and Paarden Eiland. Inside, a scissor lift often does the ceiling work for less.
Winelands
Sheds, cellars and packhouses around Stellenbosch and Paarl: lights, gutters, roof repairs and tree work. Paarl is about 61 km from Cape Town by road. Transport for a cherry picker there and back usually comes to R5,240–R6,340, shown as its own line on your quote.
Wind, rain and the working day
Cherry picker work stops when the wind passes the machine's limit, which is printed on its plate, and the operator lowers the basket. In Cape Town that means the summer south-easter: on exposed sites, keep a spare day in the plan and check the forecast with us the day before. In winter, the south-western Cape gets most of its rain in June, July and August (South African Weather Service), so outdoor painting and sealing jobs run best from spring to autumn.
Access, ground and permits
- Set-up space: a trailer machine sets up on four outriggers. The 12 m Genie TZ-34/20 or similar needs 3.26 m × 3.59 m; the 17 m TZ-50 or similar needs 4.37 m × 4.37 m. Truck-mounted units need the truck's width and its stabilisers.
- Slopes: outriggers level the machine only within limits. On steep seaboard and southern-suburbs driveways we set up on the flattest spot, often the street.
- Sand: much of the metro sits on the sandy Cape Flats Aquifer. Pads go on boards or mats on sand and lawns, and stay off drains, manholes and fresh trench backfill.
- Streets and pavements: if the machine stands in a road or on a pavement, you need the City of Cape Town's permission and traffic control. Cone off the area under the basket in any case.
- Power lines: nobody may come inside a line's safety clearance in person or with objects without permission from the utility that runs it (Electrical Machinery Regulations, reg 19(5)). Lights and tree work near lines must be arranged with the City or Eskom first.
Load-test and operator certificates come before the machine, on request; the rules are on cherry picker hire.
Sizes most hired in Cape Town
Most homes and small businesses need the 12–15 m class: a double-storey gutter or sign sits within it. Three- and four-storey blocks in the northern suburbs and along the seaboard take 16–25 m, especially when the basket must reach over a garden, a boundary wall or parked cars. The 50 m+ class is for the tall buildings in the city centre. Every other machine we hire in the city is on plant hire in Cape Town; further along the coast we also cover cherry picker hire in Durban and cherry picker hire in Port Elizabeth.
WhatsApp us the height and the addressQuestions people ask
How much is a cherry picker to hire for one day?
In Cape Town, a 12–15 m cherry picker with operator is R2,400–R4,000 a day with operator, a 16–17 m R4,150–R7,900, a 20–25 m about R8,200 and a 50 m+ about R16,500, excluding VAT. Delivery inside the city adds R1,300–R3,840 there and back. For three days or more, the weekly rate of R11,500–R12,500 (12–15 m) usually works out cheaper.
How much is a TLB per hour?
A standard 4x4 TLB is R320–R410 an hour dry (operator included, you pay the diesel), or R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator. In Cape Town it's mostly digging foundations and service trenches in sand. See TLB hire in Cape Town.
How much does a cherry picker machine cost?
To buy, the price depends on height, type and age, and comes from the manufacturers' dealers and plant auctions. Owning one also means a load test at least every 12 months, six-monthly examinations, a certified operator and storage. Unless it works most days, hiring is cheaper: our monthly rate for a 12–15 m machine with operator is R32,500–R37,000. More on cherry picker hire rates.
Where can I hire a forklift in Cape Town?
From us. A 1–2 t forklift is R940–R1,600 a day, a 2.5–3 t R1,150–R1,600 and a 3.5–5 t R1,600–R1,900, machine only, delivered across the city. See forklift hire in Cape Town.
Related
Sources we checked
- Genie TZ-34/20 and TZ-50 trailer-mounted boom specifications
- SAnews (citing the South African Weather Service): parts of the Western Cape record lowest rainfall, 2 August 2026
- Water SA (2021), Assessing the potential for managed aquifer recharge of the Cape Flats Aquifer
- Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (GN R.540), regulation 18: lifting machines
- Electrical Machinery Regulations, 2011 (GN R.250), regulation 19: overhead power lines
Need a cherry picker in Cape Town?
WhatsApp us the job, the town and the dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing before the machine moves.
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