Large diesel forklift with long forks parked in a yard

Forklift hire

Forklift hire costs R940–R1,600 a day for a 1–2 t forklift, R1,150–R1,600 for 2.5–3 t and R1,600–R1,900 for 3.5–5 t, machine only. A certified operator comes on request, priced on WhatsApp, and transport is quoted as its own line.

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Last updated 1 November 2026

Certified operators on every machine
Price in writing before the machine moves
All 9 provinces, transport as its own line
Replacement machine on breakdown

Which forklift size: 1–2 t, 2.5–3 t or 3.5–5 t?

A forklift's size is its rated load at a set load centre, 500 mm on 1–3.5 t trucks: an evenly loaded pallet about a metre deep. Pick the size from your heaviest load, then check the lift height you need.

Forklift sizes, specs (Hyster H2.0–3.5A or similar) and day rates, machine only
Size	Standard lift height	Fuel	Best for	Per day
1–2 t	About 3.9 m to the top of the forks; higher masts to about 5.5 m	Electric, LPG or diesel	Warehouses, shops and stores: pallets of stock, racking, offloading a delivery	R940–R1,600
2.5–3 t	About 3.9 m; higher masts to about 5.5–5.9 m	Diesel or LPG; electric on request	The all-rounder: loading and offloading trucks, yards, building supply, factories	R1,150–R1,600
3.5–5 t	About 3.9 m on a 3.5 t; up to about 5.9 m	Diesel	Heavy pallets, steel, machinery, bricks and blocks, timber in yards	R1,600–R1,900

Capacity drops as the forks go up. On a 2 t truck (Hyster H2.0A or similar) the full 2,000 kg is good to 4.2 m, falling to 1,770 kg at 5.5 m. It also drops when the load is deeper than a standard pallet, because its centre sits further out on the forks. The truck's capacity plate shows the safe load for each height and load centre; our forklift guide explains load centre in plain terms.

Bigger forklifts (7 t and 10 t) for steel, containers and heavy machinery, mini forklifts, side loaders for long loads, and 4x4 rough-terrain forklifts for building sites and farms: exact price on WhatsApp.

Diesel, LPG or electric forklift?

Diesel for yards, building sites and loading outdoors. The most power for heavy loads and rough concrete or paving; exhaust means outdoors or very well ventilated sheds only.
LPG (gas) for work that moves between a shed and the yard. It burns cleaner than diesel but still gives off exhaust, so indoor use needs good ventilation. Gas bottles swap in minutes.
Electric for warehouses, cold stores and food or retail stores: no exhaust and quiet. It needs charging between shifts and a smooth, level floor.

Warehouse or yard? Inside, check the aisle width against the turning radius (about 2.2–2.4 m on a 2–3.5 t counterbalance truck, Hyster H2.0–3.5A or similar) and door heights against the lowered mast (about 2.6–2.7 m). Outside, the ground matters: standard forklifts need hard, level ground. On gravel, mud or slopes, use a rough-terrain forklift or a telehandler.

Forklift hire prices: daily, weekly and monthly

Prices are machine only (operator on request), excluding VAT, with transport both ways as its own line.

Forklift hire prices, November 2026 (excl. VAT, transport extra)
Size	Rate	Price
1–2 t forklift	Per day, machine only	R940–R1,600 *
1–2 t forklift	Per week, machine only	about R5,650 *
2.5–3 t forklift	Per day, machine only	R1,150–R1,600 *
3.5–5 t forklift	Per day, machine only	R1,600–R1,900 *
3.5–5 t forklift	Per week, machine only	about R8,500 *
3.5–5 t forklift	Per month, machine only	about R30,000 *

* Few price points for this one, so treat it as a guide; the exact price comes back on WhatsApp.

Monthly hire on the other sizes, operator day rates and what changes the price are on forklift hire rates.

Get a forklift price on WhatsApp

Forklift hire with an operator

Hire the forklift on its own and your certified staff drive it, or ask for one of our certified operators with it. The operator is priced on WhatsApp per day, and we send a copy of the operator's certificate before the forklift arrives, on request.

An operator is worth it when nobody on your staff holds a forklift certificate, for a one-off like offloading a container or moving machinery, or when the load is heavy, high or awkward and you want someone who does it every day.

Forklift operator certificate: what the law says

Forklifts are lift trucks, and lift trucks are lifting machines under the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (GN R.540 of 24 June 2015, under the OHS Act).

The operator needs a certificate of training. Reg 18(11): nobody may operate a lifting machine listed in the National Code of Practice for Training Providers of Lifting Machine Operators unless they hold a certificate of training from an accredited training provider. The 2024 code (Notice 5588 of 29 November 2024) replaced the 2015 code.
The code lists forklifts by type. For example F1 is a counterbalanced lift truck up to 3,000 kg, F2 up to 7,000 kg, F5 a reach truck up to 2,500 kg, F10 a side loader and F11 rough-terrain equipment with lift truck attachments. Check that the operator's certificate covers the type you're hiring.
The forklift is examined and load-tested by a lifting machinery inspector of a registered lifting machinery entity before first use and at intervals of no more than 12 months (reg 18).
You keep the records on site. The user of a leased lifting machine must keep a register on site with the latest performance test and service records, not older than 12 months. We send copies of the load-test certificate before the forklift arrives, on request.

More on certificates and load tests: safety and certificates.

Attachments, and moving the load too

Side-shift, fork extensions and jibs on request. Any attachment reduces the safe load; the capacity for the truck with that attachment applies.
Offloading and moving in one go: a crane truck lifts the load off and drives it to the next site, which can beat hiring a truck and a forklift for a single delivery. For long loads, see flatbed truck hire.
Lifting high on a rough site: a telehandler reaches forward and up where a forklift can't drive.

Delivery and transport

Forklifts come to site on a truck. Johannesburg is one of the main centres we send machines from. Transport for a forklift there and back usually comes to R1,300–R3,840, shown as its own line on your quote. Outside the main centres, transport is worked from the road distance: WhatsApp us your town.

Have the offloading spot clear and level, and know where the forklift will work and park. Booking is the same as any machine: WhatsApp the size, the town and the dates, we confirm the price in writing, you pay the deposit and the forklift arrives. The steps are on how it works.

Forklift hire near you

We send forklifts to warehouses, factories, yards, sites and farms in all 9 provinces. Local prices and transport:

Other towns: see every area we cover, or WhatsApp us your town.

WhatsApp us the size, town and dates

Questions people ask

Do I need a licence to drive a forklift in South Africa?

On site, what the law asks for is a certificate of training. Under the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (reg 18(11)), nobody may operate a lifting machine listed in the National Code of Practice for Training Providers of Lifting Machine Operators unless they hold a certificate of training from an accredited training provider. Forklifts are listed in that code. More in our forklift guide.

Can I hire a forklift for one day?

Yes. A 1–2 t forklift is R940–R1,600 for the day, machine only, plus transport both ways. For a one-day job, book the delivery for the start of the day so you get the full day's use.

Can I hire a forklift with a driver?

Yes. Our prices are machine only, and a certified operator comes on request, priced on WhatsApp. If your own staff drive, they need a forklift certificate of training for the type of forklift you hire.

What's the difference between a 2.5 t and a 3 t forklift?

The rated load at a 500 mm load centre: 2,500 kg against 3,000 kg. The 3 t truck is slightly wider and needs more room to turn: 2,374 mm turning radius against 2,263 mm on a Hyster H3.0A and H2.5A or similar. Both cost R1,150–R1,600 a day, machine only.

Do you hire electric forklifts?

Yes, for warehouses and indoor work where exhaust fumes aren't acceptable. Tell us the floor, the lift height and how many hours a day it works, so the battery lasts the shift.

How much is weekly or monthly forklift hire?

About about R5,650 a week for a 1–2 t forklift, and for a 3.5–5 t forklift about about R8,500 a week or about R30,000 a month, machine only. These have few price points, so the exact figure comes back on WhatsApp.

Sources we checked

Need a forklift?

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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