Large wheel loader on the floor of an open-pit mine

Rustenburg plant hire

We send TLBs, excavators, tippers, water trucks, crane trucks, forklifts and 34 t side tippers across Rustenburg and the platinum belt, from Phokeng and Kroondal to Mooinooi and Marikana. A TLB with an operator costs R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator and a 34 t side tipper with driver R75,500–R92,000 a month with operator, with transport as its own line and the price confirmed in writing before the machine moves.

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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

Rustenburg plant hire prices

Our rates for the machines Rustenburg hires most, excluding VAT. With an operator or driver unless it says machine only. Rustenburg is one of the main centres we send machines from, so machines that drive (TLBs, tippers, crane trucks, water trucks) have only small travel costs in town.

Rustenburg plant hire prices, excl. VAT, transport extra. Prices updated: November 2026
Machine	Rate	Price
TLB, standard 4x4	Per day with operator	R3,900–R5,150
TLB with hydraulic breaker	Per day with operator	R5,000–R6,550
Excavator, 20–25 t	Per day with operator	R3,500–R5,600
Excavator, 36–55 t	Per day with operator	R6,500–R8,100
Tipper, 10 cube	Per day with driver	R3,700–R5,250
Tipper, 14–18 cube	Per day with driver	R3,300–R4,000
Side tipper, 34 t (truck and trailer)	Per month with driver	R75,500–R92,000
Water truck, 14,000–18,000 litre	Per day with driver	R2,400–R2,800
ADT dump truck, 30 t	Per day with operator	R5,650–R5,900
Crane truck, 8–10 t	Per day with operator	R2,500–R5,200
Mobile crane, 20–25 t	Per day with operator	about R4,500
Cherry picker, 12–15 m	Per day with operator	R2,400–R4,000
Grader, 140 class	Per day with operator	R4,500–R6,000
Forklift, 2.5–3 t	Per day, machine only	R1,150–R1,600

Hourly, weekly and monthly rates for every size are on plant hire rates. "Dry" on a quote means the operator is included and you pay the diesel; day rates assume an 8 to 9 hour day.

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What Rustenburg hires machines for

The platinum belt

Rustenburg sits on the western side of the Bushveld Complex, the rock that holds South Africa's platinum. The mines run along the N4 from Bafokeng land around Phokeng, past Kroondal and Mooinooi, to Marikana in the east. Mine work means long hires: water trucks for haul-road dust, excavators and ADTs on opencast pits and tailings, graders for haul roads, and TLBs for pipelines, cable trenches and drainage around shafts and plants. Our mining plant hire page covers monthly terms, documents and site rules.

Chrome on the road

Chrome ore comes out of the ground with the platinum ore, and much of it leaves Rustenburg by truck. In 2022, when rail and port backlogs built up, chrome buyers trucked material from Johannesburg and Rustenburg to Maputo, and Maputo handled almost 60% of South Africa's chrome ore shipments in April and May that year, against a usual 30–35%. That traffic is why 34 t side tippers are hired here by the month.

Town growth and the industrial areas

Away from the mines, the work is housing, shops, schools and clinics in Rustenburg, Tlhabane, Boitekong and the villages around Phokeng, plus workshops and stores that serve the mines. That is TLB, tipper, crane truck and forklift work, usually by the day.

Black turf, rock and summer storms: Rustenburg ground and rules

Black turf clay on the flats

Rustenburg is built on norite of the Bushveld Complex, which weathers to clay that can be highly expansive, locally called turf where it's black. It swells when wet and shrinks and cracks when dry, which moves slabs, cracks walls and breaks pipes. Engineers often call for an engineered soil raft: the clay dug out under slabs, roads and yards and replaced with compacted G5 gravel or better. That turns a one-TLB job into a TLB or excavator, tippers to cart the turf away and bring gravel in, and a roller to compact it in layers. Put the engineer's foundation notes in your WhatsApp so we price the right machines.

Rock on the koppies and slopes

On the koppies and the slopes towards the Magaliesberg, rock can come up close to the surface; on other stands hard rock sits deeper (a geotechnical report in Rustenburg's Waterkloof found it below about 2.2 m). Book a breaker TLB (R5,000–R6,550 a day with operator) from the start, or an excavator with a hammer for bigger rock, instead of paying for a TLB that stops at a metre.

Summer storms, October to March

Rustenburg is in South Africa's summer-rainfall area: the South African Weather Service notes the rain normally falls between October and March, with little outside that season. Wet turf stops loaded tippers and side tippers on unsurfaced roads, and open trenches fill. Bulk earthworks go fastest from April to September; in summer, agree standing time on your quote before the job starts.

Mines, roads and permits

On a mine, the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996 applies, and the mine's manager sets the rules for contractors on site, including access roads. Expect a site induction and the mine's own paperwork. Send it to us early.
In a road reserve, such as a trench across a verge or pavement, get a wayleave from Rustenburg Local Municipality first. The N4 is a national road, so work in its road reserve needs the national road authority's approval as well.
On a building site, the Construction Regulations, 2014 cover mobile plant: competent operators and a daily check of the machine before use.
Lifting machines (cranes, crane trucks, cherry pickers, forklifts) need a load test by a registered lifting machinery entity at least every 12 months, and an operator with a certificate from an accredited training provider, under the Driven Machinery Regulations, 2015.

Machines hired most in Rustenburg

TLB hire in Rustenburg

The town's most-hired machine: R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator, or R320–R410 an hour dry. A JCB 3CX or similar digs about 4.4–4.8 m deep and loads about 1 m³ a bucket on the front, so one TLB digs a foundation or pipe trench, loads the turf onto a tipper and backfills. Rustenburg is one of the main centres we send machines from. The TLB drives to site, so travel is small and confirmed on WhatsApp with your price. More on TLB hire in Rustenburg.

Tipper truck for hire in Rustenburg

Carting turf off site, bringing in G5 or G7 gravel for slabs and roads, and moving rubble. A 10 cube tipper is R3,700–R5,250 a day and a 14–18 cube R3,300–R4,000 a day, each with a driver. On a turf-replacement job, plan two or three tippers per loading machine so the TLB or excavator never stands waiting. Tippers drive to site, so travel in town is small. Load sizes are on 10 cube tipper truck hire.

Excavator for hire in Rustenburg

Bulk turf removal, deep trenches, tailings and pit work. A 20–25 t excavator is R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator and a 36–55 t R6,500–R8,100 a day with operator. The 20 t (Cat 320 or similar) digs to about 6.7 m and loads a 10 cube tipper in a few passes. It comes on a lowbed, R6,000–R9,500 there and back in town. See excavator hire for every size.

Water truck for hire in Rustenburg

Dust on mine haul roads and gravel roads, and water for compacting layerworks. A 14,000–18,000 litre water truck is R2,400–R2,800 a day and a 23,000–25,000 litre truck R4,000–R5,800 a day, each with a driver. Mines usually take water trucks by the month; WhatsApp the haul-road length and shifts and we price it. More on water truck hire and dust suppression.

34 ton side tipper trucks for hire in Rustenburg

A 34 t side tipper (horse and interlink trailer) with driver is R75,500–R92,000 a month with operator. The horse alone is R42,000–R63,000 a month with operator and the trailer alone R25,000–R29,500 a month. The law caps a 7-axle interlink at 56,000 kg in total, which leaves about 34 t for the load; dense ore like chrome reaches that in about 25 m³, so an ore trailer's bins look half full. Details on 34 ton side tipper hire.

Chrome transport contracts in Rustenburg

For a chrome haulage contract we supply side tippers with drivers by the month, from one truck to a full contract. Your written quote covers the monthly rate per truck, diesel (dry, or wet with diesel in the rate or a rate per ton), tolls, the deposit and the term: one month minimum, with three-, six- and twelve-month contracts on request. As an example, 5 trucks at R75,500–R92,000 each come to R377,500–R460,000 a month for trucks and drivers, before diesel and tolls. Send the tonnage per month, loading and tipping points and start date on WhatsApp; company documents come on request.

Crane truck hire in Rustenburg

Offloading pumps, motors and steel at mine stores and workshops, placing containers and park homes, and lifting water tanks onto stands. An 8–10 t crane truck is R2,500–R5,200 a day and a 12–15 t R3,200–R5,200 a day, with a certified operator and a load-test certificate. The truck drives to site, so travel in town is small. For heavier lifts, see mobile crane hire in Rustenburg.

Forklift hire in Rustenburg

Mine stores, warehouses and workshops: a 2.5–3 t forklift is R1,150–R1,600 a day and a 3.5–5 t R1,600–R1,900 a day, machine only. Tell us if you also need our operator and it's added to your written price. Rustenburg 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. See forklift hire.

Cherry picker hire in Rustenburg

Lights, signs, gutters and roof sheeting on shops, workshops and plant buildings: R2,400–R4,000 a day with operator for 12–15 m, R4,150–R7,900 a day for 16–17 m. Transport there and back is R1,300–R3,840. More on cherry picker hire in Rustenburg.

Grader and roller hire in Rustenburg

Haul roads, farm and village gravel roads, and building pads after the turf is out. A 140-class grader is R4,500–R6,000 a day with operator and a 10–12 t roller R2,150–R5,600 a day with operator. Both come on a lowbed: R6,000–R9,500 there and back in town. See gravel roads and driveways.

Around Rustenburg: Hartbeespoort, Brits and the rest of North West

Machines from Rustenburg also work along the N4 towards Brits and Hartbeespoort, north towards Mogwase and Sun City, and west towards Swartruggens and Zeerust. Outside town, transport is priced on the road distance and shown as its own line. Town-by-town detail, from Brits and Klerksdorp to Mahikeng and Vryburg, is on plant hire in North West, and Hartbeespoort has its own page: TLB hire in Hartbeespoort.

Choosing a plant hire company in Rustenburg: what to check

Price in writing before the machine moves, with transport both ways, minimum hours and standing time on it.
Mine paperwork ready before arrival if the job is on a mine: induction dates, medicals and the mine's contractor pack.
Certificates: operator certificates for cranes, crane trucks, cherry pickers and forklifts, and a load-test certificate not older than 12 months.
Breakdown terms. Ours are a replacement machine or no charge for downtime.
Turf plan: if the engineer says remove and replace, book the tippers and roller with the digger.

Booking step by step: how it works. Certificates on request: safety and certificates.

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Questions people ask

How much is TLB per hour?

A standard TLB is R320–R410 an hour dry, which means our operator is included and you pay the diesel. With an operator and diesel arranged on the quote, hourly rates run R320–R580 depending on who pays the diesel and the minimum hours. Most Rustenburg jobs are booked by the day, at R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator for an 8 to 9 hour day. Every size and rate is on TLB hire rates.

How does plant hire work?

You WhatsApp us the machine, the site and your dates. We confirm the machine, the start date and the price in writing, with transport both ways as its own line. You pay a deposit to book, and the machine arrives with an experienced operator. On a mine, send the mine's contractor requirements with your booking so the paperwork is ready before the machine arrives. The full steps are on how it works.

How much to hire a 20 tonne digger?

A 20–25 t excavator costs R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator, or R340–R690 an hour with an operator. It comes on a lowbed, and inside Rustenburg the lowbed there and back is R6,000–R9,500. A Cat 320 or similar digs to about 6.7 m and reaches about 9.9 m along the ground. More sizes on 20 ton excavator hire.

How much to rent a Caterpillar?

We price by machine type and size, not by brand, and a Cat machine or similar is quoted at the same rate. A 20–25 t excavator (Cat 320 or similar) is R3,500–R5,600 a day with operator. A D6-class dozer (Cat D6 or similar) is R5,000–R7,750 a day with operator. A standard TLB (Cat 428 or similar) is R3,900–R5,150 a day with operator. A 140-class grader is R4,500–R6,000 a day with operator. Tell us the job on WhatsApp and we confirm the machine and price in writing.

Do you send machines onto mines around Rustenburg?

Yes. A mine works under the Mine Health and Safety Act, 1996, not the general building rules, and each mine sets its own contractor requirements: site induction, operator medicals and extra safety kit on the machine are common. Send us the mine's requirements with your booking. Operator certificates, and load-test certificates for lifting machines, come before the machine arrives if you ask for them.

Sources we checked

Need a TLB in Rustenburg?

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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