Generator Hire in South Africa
Free quotes from generator hire companies across South Africa. One request, no obligation.
- Size class
- 2.5–500 kVA
- Gets to site
- On a trailer
- Job stage
- Site power & tools
Generator hire keeps tools, site offices, pumps, events and businesses running where there is no grid supply or when load shedding strikes. PlantHiring.co.za is a free quote service. You complete one form and we pass your request to independent hire companies near you, who quote you directly. We do not hire, install or deliver any generators ourselves. Tell us what you need to power, for how long and where, and local suppliers will size and price a suitable set.
Generator hire for sites, backup and events
Most generator hire falls into three groups:
- Site power: small portable units for hand tools and larger sets for site offices, welding, concrete mixers, pumps and tower cranes
- Load shedding and outage backup: standby sets for shops, offices, clinics and factories, sometimes with an automatic changeover
- Events: silent sets for weddings, markets, concerts and sports days, with distribution boards and cabling
Many companies that offer generator and plant hire can add lighting towers, pumps and tools to the same order.
Sizing your generator
Generators are rated in kVA. Add up the running load of everything you plan to connect, then allow for motors such as compressors, pumps and mixers that draw far more power when starting. An undersized set trips or damages equipment, while a hugely oversized one burns fuel and runs poorly at light load. Give suppliers a list of equipment with its power ratings, or the main breaker size of the building, and say whether you need single-phase or three-phase power. For building backup, a qualified electrician must connect the set through a proper changeover switch so it never feeds back into the municipal supply.
Generator hire prices and price lists
A generator hire price list is a starting point, but real generator hire prices depend on:
- Size in kVA and whether the set is silent or open-frame
- Hire period, from a day to several months
- Diesel, either supplied by you or refuelled by the hirer and charged
- Delivery, which is a trailer tow for mid-size sets and a truck with crane for large ones
- Cables, distribution boards, changeover and installation
- Deposit, insurance against theft and VAT
For long hires, ask about monthly rates and servicing. See plant hire rates for comparing quotes.
Safety and security
Place the generator outdoors on level ground, away from doors and windows, as exhaust fumes can be deadly in enclosed spaces. Earth the set and use earth leakage protection on outgoing circuits, as required for electrical installations under the OHS Act. Refuel only when the engine is off and cool. Generators and diesel are prime targets for theft, so lock the set, chain it to a fixed point where possible and check what your hire agreement says about cover.
What to include in your request
- List the equipment you need to power
- Say if you need single- or three-phase
- Give the hire dates and running hours
- Note who will supply the diesel
Generator Hire on different jobs
- House plots and renovations: running power tools, a mixer and lights on a new house build before the electrical connection
- Housing estates and townships: powering site offices, tools and dewatering pumps on a new housing estate without grid supply
- Shopping centres, offices and schools: backing up a shopping centre, office or clinic during load shedding and powering site works
- Factories, warehouses and logistics parks: standby power for production lines, cold rooms and workshops during outages or maintenance
- Roads, pipelines and civil works: powering lighting towers, pumps and site camps along road, bridge and pipeline contracts
- Mines and quarries: supplying temporary power to remote exploration camps, pumps and plant during shutdowns
- Farms, dams and game lodges: running irrigation pumps, cold storage and packhouses on a farm during outages
Frequently asked questions
Does PlantHiring.co.za hire out generators?
How do I find generator hire near me?
What size generator do I need for load shedding?
Is diesel included in generator hire?
Generator Hire by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Lephalale
- Kimberley
- Kathu
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
More plant and equipment for hire
Dig & load
Machines that excavate, trench, load and clear
Haul & lift
Trucks that move material, machines that lift it
Compact & finish
Level, compact and mix for layer works and slabs
Site power & tools
Power, breaking, small plant and access
Plant hire services
Hire with operators, rates and buying equipment