How much do curtains cost in South Africa?

A made-to-measure, lined curtain for a medium-sized window usually costs between R1,800 and R3,500. Ready-made lined curtains from homeware chains cost from about R280 a panel.

Last updated 28 October 2026

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Curtains prices at a glance

Made-to-measure curtains are priced mostly by fabric: roughly R300 to R550 per metre for sheers, R350 to R600 for poly-cotton or linen and R500 to R850 for blockout, before lining, track and fitting. A medium window with quality fabric and lining typically comes to R1,800 to R3,500. These figures are a guide from limited published data, so treat them as a starting point for quotes.

What	Typical price	Notes
Made-to-measure lined curtains for a medium window	R1,500–R3,500 per window	A Johannesburg maker quotes R1,800 to R3,500 with quality fabric and lining. A KwaZulu-Natal company starts sheers at R1,500 a drop with track and installation included.
Standard poly-cotton or linen fabric, made up	R350–R600/metre
Blockout fabric, made up	R500–R850/metre
Ready-made lined or blockout curtain from a homeware chain	R280–R460 per curtain	Sizes around 200 to 230 cm wide by 218 to 225 cm long. You usually need two per window.
Sheer or voile fabric, made up	R300–R550/metre
Velvet, silk or designer fabric, made up	R800–R1,500/metre	Heavy woven fabrics can cost four to five times as much per metre as a standard polyester blend.
Lining (standard, thermal or blackout)	R100–R300/metre
Curtain track or rail, supplied by a curtain maker	R150–R500/metre	At a DIY store, a basic 1.5 m contractor track costs under R60 and a premium 3.5 m double track over R900.
Fitting tracks and hanging curtains	R250–R750 per window

Estimates only. These ranges come from published South African prices, listed under sources below, and were last checked on 28 October 2026. Your price depends on your site and the specification. Get quotes for an accurate price for your job.

A made-to-measure curtain is priced from three things: how much fabric it takes, which fabric you pick, and the extras. The extras are lining, the heading style, the track and the fitting. Fabric is the biggest variable. A Johannesburg curtain maker's 2026 price guide puts made-up fabric at about R350 to R600 per metre for poly-cotton or linen and up to R1,500 or more for velvet and designer cloth.

The heading style changes how much fabric you buy. A Cape Town curtain company explains that eyelet and rod-pocket headings need about 1.5 to 2 times the track width in fabric, while pencil and pinch pleats need 2 to 2.5 times. On a wide window, choosing a pinch pleat over an eyelet can add several metres of fabric.

Few South African curtain makers publish prices, so the ranges below lean heavily on one Johannesburg price guide, checked against a KwaZulu-Natal company's starting price and current retail prices for ready-made curtains and tracks. None of the made-to-measure sources say whether VAT is included. Use these figures for planning, then get measured quotes. If you're weighing up other window coverings, our blinds cost guide and shutter cost guide cover those.

What moves the price

Pushes the price up

Heavy or designer fabric. Velvets, silks and branded weaves cost several times more per metre than polyester.
Generous fullness. Pinch and pencil pleats need up to 2.5 times the track width in fabric.
Floor-to-ceiling drops. Long curtains on high walls or double-volume rooms use far more fabric and may need a ladder or scaffold to fit.
Thermal or blackout lining. Lining adds about R100 to R300 per metre.
Premium tracks and motorised systems. Wave-pleat, bay and motorised tracks cost more than a basic steel track.
Patterned fabric. Matching the pattern across widths means buying extra fabric.

Brings the price down

Eyelet or tab-top headings. They need less fabric than pleated styles.
Unlined curtains or sheers. Skip lining where you don't need light control or insulation.
Ready-made panels for standard windows. One homeware chain sells lined 230 × 218 cm curtains from about R280.
Reusing existing tracks. If the track is sound and the right type, you only pay for the curtains.
Plain fabric over prints. No pattern matching means less waste.

Three windows: made to measure versus ready-made

Say you want to dress a lounge and two bedrooms, each with a medium window about 2 m wide. Here's how the two routes compare using the ranges on this page.

Made to measure, lined: 3 windows × R1,800 to R3,500 = R5,400 to R10,500
New tracks, if not included: 3 windows × 2.4 m × R150 to R500 = about R1,100 to R3,600
Fitting, if not included: 3 × R250 to R750 = R750 to R2,250
Made-to-measure total: roughly R5,400 to R16,400, depending on what each quote already includes
Ready-made instead: 6 lined or blockout panels × R280 to R460 = R1,680 to R2,760, plus roughly R60 to R600 per window for a DIY-store track

Why the gap is so big

Ready-made curtains come in a few fixed sizes, so they fit standard windows and not much else. Made-to-measure curtains are cut to your exact drop and width, use better fabric and are usually lined, and someone else measures and hangs them. If your windows are a standard size and you can fit a track yourself, ready-made can save a lot.

What a curtain quote should include

Curtain quotes vary a lot in what they cover. Ask for each window to be itemised:

The fabric name, and how many metres it needs
The heading style and fullness
Lining type, if any
Finished width and drop
The track or rod: type, length and price
Measuring, fitting and removal of old tracks
Lead time and whether VAT is included

Sheers and layering

Many homes hang a sheer behind a lined curtain, which means two layers of fabric and a double track. One KwaZulu-Natal company quotes sheers from R1,500 a drop with a track and installation included. If budget is tight, consider a sheer on its own in rooms where privacy matters less, or pair a lined curtain with a cheaper roller blind.

Ways to spend less

Choose a plain mid-range fabric and spend on lining only in bedrooms and sun-facing rooms.
Pick an eyelet heading where the look suits the room, to cut the fabric needed.
Ask whether the curtain maker will make up fabric you've bought yourself, and what they charge for labour.
Keep good tracks and only replace the curtains.

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Curtains cost questions

How much does it cost to have curtains made?

A Johannesburg curtain maker's 2026 guide puts a medium window with quality fabric and lining at about R1,800 to R3,500. Made-up fabric alone runs from roughly R300 per metre for sheers to R850 for blockout, with luxury fabrics at R800 to R1,500 or more. Tracks and fitting may or may not be included, so check.

Are ready-made curtains good enough?

For standard-sized windows, often yes. One homeware chain sells lined and blockout panels of about 230 × 218 cm for roughly R280 to R460 each. They come in fixed sizes and fewer fabrics, though, and they won't suit very wide, tall or unusually shaped windows. Made to measure fits exactly and is usually better made.

How much does a curtain track cost?

At a DIY retailer, basic contractor tracks start under R60, most double tracks cost about R500 to R600, and premium ones run to over R900 for 3.5 m. A Johannesburg curtain maker prices supplied tracks at about R150 to R500 per metre, and fitting at R250 to R750 depending on the window. A quote that includes the track avoids a separate trip.

Is lining worth the extra cost?

Lining adds about R100 to R300 per metre. It helps curtains hang better, protects the fabric from sun fade and, in thermal or blackout form, keeps rooms warmer in winter and darker in the morning. It's most worth it in bedrooms and rooms that face the afternoon sun. Sheers and decorative curtains often don't need it.

Are curtains cheaper than blinds?

Ready-made curtains are among the cheapest window coverings you can buy. Lined made-to-measure curtains generally cost more than a basic roller or aluminium venetian blind for the same window, but less than shutters. See our [blinds cost guide](/cost-guides/blinds) to compare.

Sources

Curtain Cost in Johannesburg, South Africa, Hometri, 2026
Sheer Curtains Made to Measure, window.co.za, 2026
Curtain & Blind Pricing Guide - Cape Town, Curtain Zone, undated
Lined Curtains, Sheet Street, prices checked October 2026
Curtain Tracks & Accessories, Leroy Merlin South Africa, prices checked October 2026

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