Pretoria plant hire
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Pretoria plant hire prices
Our rates for the machines Pretoria hires most, excluding VAT. With an operator or driver unless it says machine only.
| Machine | Rate | Price |
|---|---|---|
| TLB, standard 4x4 | Per day with operator | R3,900–R5,150 |
| Forklift, 2.5–3 t | Per day, machine only | R1,150–R1,600 |
| Bobcat | Per day with operator | R2,400–R3,700 |
| Excavator, 20–25 t | Per day with operator | R3,500–R5,600 |
| Tipper, 10 cube | Per day with driver | R3,700–R5,250 |
| Front end loader, 950 class | Per day with operator | R3,400–R3,800 |
| Grader, 140 class | Per day with operator | R4,500–R6,000 |
| Bulldozer, D6 class | Per day with operator | R5,000–R7,750 |
| Water truck, 8,000–12,000 litre | Per day with driver | R2,000–R2,300 |
| Cherry picker, 12–15 m | Per day with operator | R2,400–R4,000 |
| Crane truck, 8–10 t | Per day with operator | R2,500–R5,200 |
Pretoria ground and weather: what changes the job
Dolomite in the south, black clay in the north, ridges in between
Pretoria's geology splits the city in bands. South of the city is dolomite, the rock that dissolves slowly and forms sinkholes when water gets into it. Centurion is the best-known example: in 2025 the City of Tshwane declared 63 sinkholes a disaster, and one of Centurion's most active sinkholes started after a stormwater drain failed. Through the middle run quartzite ridges such as the Magaliesberg, where trenches meet rock and a breaker TLB (R5,000–R6,550 a day with operator) earns its keep. North and north-west, from Pretoria North to Rosslyn and Soshanguve, is flat Bushveld country with black clay ("turf") that swells when wet and cracks when dry.
On dolomite, our operators keep water out of open trenches and backfill in compacted layers, as the engineer's dolomite report usually requires. On black clay, engineers often call for the clay to be dug out under slabs and replaced with gravel, so the job needs tippers both ways.
Summer rain, October to March
Pretoria's rain falls between October and March (South African Weather Service). Black clay turns impassable for loaded tippers after a storm, so big earthworks go fastest from April to September. In summer, ask about standing time when you book.
Wayleaves in Tshwane
Digging in a pavement, verge or street is road-reserve work and needs the City of Tshwane's wayleave before the machine starts. Inside your boundary, mark the water, sewer, electricity and fibre lines you know of before we dig.
Plant hire in Pretoria north, east and west
Plant hire in Pretoria North
Pretoria North takes in Wonderboom, Akasia, Onderstepoort, Rosslyn and, further out, Soshanguve. Rosslyn is Tshwane's car-making district: BMW Group Plant Rosslyn has built more than 1.8 million vehicles and is the only plant making the BMW X3 plug-in hybrid for international markets, with component factories and warehouses around it. That puts forklifts, crane trucks and TLBs for factory-yard work high on the list. On the black clay, house foundations and slabs often need the clay replaced. Transport to Rosslyn and Soshanguve is on plant hire in Gauteng. Rosslyn is about 15 km from Pretoria by road, inside our normal delivery area. Transport for a forklift there and back usually comes to R1,300–R3,840, shown as its own line on your quote.
Plant hire in Pretoria East
Pretoria East, from Menlyn and Lynnwood out to Faerie Glen, Silver Lakes and the estates beyond, is where most new houses, offices and complexes go up. Work here is foundations and service trenches in estates, pool digs, landscaping with bobcats, and cherry pickers and scissor lifts on commercial buildings. Estates often limit working hours and need contractor access lists, so arrange those before the booking date.
Plant hire in Pretoria West
Pretoria West is the industrial side of the city, with workshops, factories and yards around Pretoria West and Hermanstad, and suburbs such as Atteridgeville and Laudium beyond. Typical hires: breaker TLBs to remove old slabs, bobcats and tippers for rubble, forklifts for factory moves, and crane trucks for machinery. For building take-downs, see demolition in Pretoria.
Forklift hire in Pretoria
Forklifts are Pretoria's most-asked-for machine after the TLB: warehouses in Pretoria West, factories around Rosslyn, builders' merchants and stock moves across the city. Prices are for the machine; add our operator if you need one.
| Size | Typical job | Per day |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 t | Light pallets, shops, small warehouses | R940–R1,600 |
| 2.5–3 t | Standard pallets, most warehouses and factories | R1,150–R1,600 |
| 3.5–5 t | Heavy loads, steel, machinery, yard work | R1,600–R1,900 |
A week costs about R5,650 for a 1–2 t forklift and R8,500 for 3.5–5 t; a month on a 3.5–5 t is about R30,000. To get the right machine, send us the heaviest load, how high it must go, and whether the forklift works indoors or out on a rough yard. Forklifts are lifting machines, so the driver needs a forklift operator certificate from an accredited training provider. More on forklift hire.
| Example quote (for illustration only) | Amount |
|---|---|
| 2.5–3 t forklift, 5 days at R1,150–R1,600 a day machine only | R5,750–R8,000 |
| Transport both ways to Pretoria | R1,300–R3,840 |
| Example total, excl. VAT | R7,050–R11,840 |
More machines for hire in Pretoria
10 cube tipper truck for hire in Pretoria
A 10 cube tipper with driver is R3,700–R5,250 a day with operator, or about R2,300 a load. A 6 cube is R1,250–R1,900 a load, and 14–18 cube R3,300–R4,000 a day with operator. On black-clay jobs in the north, plan loads out for the clay and loads in for gravel. See 10 cube tipper truck hire.
Excavator hire in Pretoria
For bulk earthworks, deep sewer lines and basements: a 20–25 t excavator is R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator or R340–R690 an hour. On the ridges, ask for a breaker attachment. It comes on a lowbed, R6,000–R9,500 there and back inside Pretoria. See 20 ton excavator hire.
Trench digger hire in Pretoria
For trenches we send a TLB (to about 4 m deep, R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator) or, for narrow cable and irrigation trenches, a mini excavator (R1,700–R3,000 a day with operator). On dolomite, keep trenches short and backfill the same day so stormwater can't pond. Per-metre costs: trenching rates.
Water tanker hire in Pretoria
Water trucks for dust control and compaction water: R2,000–R2,300 a day with operator for 8,000–12,000 litre, R2,400–R2,800 a day with operator for 14,000–18,000 litre. On dolomite, the engineer may limit how much water goes on the ground. See water truck hire.
Grader for hire in Pretoria
Gravel roads on smallholdings north and east of the city, estate roads and parking areas: R4,500–R6,000 a day with operator for a 140-class, R490–R610 an hour for short jobs. Graders move on a lowbed. See gravel roads and driveways.
Lowbed hire and lowbed transport in Pretoria
A 30 t lowbed runs R23–R90 a km with driver; smaller plant deliveries are R43–R52 a km. See lowbed hire. For long hauling contracts, see side tipper hire in Pretoria.
Cherry picker hire in Pretoria
R2,400–R4,000 a day for 12–15 m, R4,150–R7,900 for 16–17 m, about R8,200 for 20–25 m, with a certified operator and a current load-test certificate. See cherry picker hire rates.
Front end loader for hire in Pretoria
For loading tippers at stockpiles, quarries and big sites: a 950-class loader (1.5–3.5 m³ bucket) is R3,400–R3,800 a day with operator; a 966-class (3.5–4.5 m³) is about R6,200 a day. See front end loader hire.
Bulldozer hire in Pretoria
Bulk clearing and cut-and-fill on new developments: R5,000–R7,750 a day with operator for a D6-class dozer, about R8,200 a day for D8-class. See bulldozer hire.
Flatbed truck hire in Pretoria
Priced per job: exact price on WhatsApp. Send the load, the deck length you need and the route. If the load needs lifting at either end, a crane truck in Pretoria may do both jobs.
Concrete mixer for hire in Pretoria
A 300–500 litre mixer is R370–R470 a day, machine only, for footings, slabs and paving bases.
Compressor hire in Pretoria
A diesel compressor with a pneumatic breaker is priced per job: exact price on WhatsApp. A heavy electric jackhammer is R380–R610 a day. See compressor, breaker and mixer hire.
TLBs, bobcats, cranes and generators
Each has its own Pretoria page: TLB hire in Pretoria, bobcat hire in Pretoria, crane hire in Pretoria, crane truck hire in Pretoria and generator hire in Pretoria.
Equipment hire in Pretoria
Small plant comes machine only: plate compactors at R270–R370 a day, rammers for trenches at R350–R470, concrete mixers at R370–R470 and portable generators at R320–R520. On dolomite and black clay, compaction in layers is usually in the spec, so add a compactor to any trench or foundation job.
Booking step by step: how it works. All prices: plant hire rates. Every town we reach: areas we cover.
WhatsApp your Pretoria jobQuestions people ask
How much does plant hire cost in Pretoria per day?
With an operator: a TLB is R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator, a bobcat R2,400–R3,700 a day with operator, a 20–25 t excavator R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator and a 140-class grader R4,500–R6,000 a day with operator. Forklifts are R940–R1,600 to R1,600–R1,900 a day by size, machine only. Prices exclude VAT, and transport is its own line.
Is Pretoria on dolomite?
Parts of Tshwane are. The dolomite lies south of the city, and Centurion is the best-known dolomitic area: in 2025 the City of Tshwane declared 63 sinkholes a disaster. The north of Pretoria is Bushveld ground with black clay instead. Your engineer's report says which applies to your stand; Centurion detail is on plant hire in Centurion.
Do your forklifts come with an operator?
Forklift prices are for the machine. If you need an operator too, tell us when you ask for a price and we add one to your written quote. Whoever drives it must hold a forklift operator certificate from an accredited training provider, as the Driven Machinery Regulations require.
Related
Sources we checked
- Explanation of the geology of the Pretoria area (Geological Survey, 1977)
- Gauteng Provincial Government, MEC Mamabolo assessed areas affected by sinkholes in the City of Tshwane (May 2025)
- Council for Geoscience, Development possibilities on dolomitic ground (2013)
- BMW Group, Plant Rosslyn reaches 100,000 fourth-generation BMW X3 production milestone
- South African Weather Service, What kind of droughts does South Africa experience? (summer rainfall season)
- Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015 (GN R.540), regulation 18: lifting machines
Need a TLB in Pretoria?
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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