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How much does a new kitchen cost in South Africa?

A new kitchen in South Africa usually costs between R35,000 for a small melamine kitchen and R150,000 for a mid-range family kitchen. Large or premium kitchens with islands regularly pass R200,000.

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Kitchen Installations prices at a glance

Published 2026 guides put a small kitchen at roughly R35,000 to R90,000, a mid-range kitchen at R70,000 to R150,000 and a premium kitchen from about R140,000 upwards. Cupboards are usually priced per linear metre, from around R4,700 for melamine to R20,000 for solid wood and premium finishes, with countertops extra.

WhatTypical priceNotes
Small kitchen, cupboards supplied and installedR35,000–R90,000 per projectAbout 3 m of units in melamine or a basic wrap. A facelift with new doors and tops on existing carcasses falls in a similar band.
Mid-range full kitchenR70,000–R150,000 per projectRoughly 3 to 6 m of units with better doors and hardware. Cape Town guides stretch this to R200,000 with engineered stone tops.
Large or premium kitchenR140,000–R450,000 per projectIslands, sprayed or solid-wood doors, integrated appliances and layout changes.
Melamine cupboards, installedR4,700–R8,000/metrePer linear metre of units, excluding countertops. The most common budget finish.
Wood-grain melamine or wrapped doors, installedR6,500–R13,800/metreGauteng guides quote R6,500 to R12,000. A Cape Town contractor puts mid-range cabinetry near R13,800.
High-gloss, acrylic or sprayed doors, installedR9,400–R15,000/metre
Solid wood, veneer or premium custom cupboardsR8,000–R20,000/metre
Countertops, supplied and fittedR950–R5,900/metrePostform laminate R950 to R1,750, granite R2,100 to R4,100 and engineered quartz R2,950 to R5,900 per linear metre.

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.

Kitchen companies price cupboards by the linear metre of units, then add countertops, appliances and the other trades. That's why two quotes for the same room can look nothing alike. One might cover cupboards only, while another includes tops, a sink, the splashback and removal of the old kitchen.

Cabinetry is the largest single cost. Two Cape Town contractors put it at 40 to 50% of a kitchen budget. One of them estimates labour across all trades at 25 to 35% of the total, while a Gauteng cupboard site puts cupboard installation labour alone at 10 to 15% of cupboard spend, at about R1,500 to R4,000 a day.

The figures below come from South African kitchen and renovation contractors' 2026 price guides, mainly in Gauteng and Cape Town. None says whether VAT is included. We couldn't find reliable published figures for removing an old kitchen or for kitchen plumbing and electrical work, so ask for those as separate lines on every quote.

What moves the price

Pushes the price up

  • Door finish. Moving from plain melamine to sprayed or high-gloss doors can double the price per metre.
  • Moving the sink, stove or extractor. New plumbing, drainage, gas or electrical points add cost, and an island may need the floor chased for services.
  • Stone countertops. Quartz costs about three times as much per metre as postform laminate.
  • Premium hardware and accessories. Upgraded hinges, runners and internal fittings add roughly 5 to 20% to the total.
  • Tall units and islands. More carcasses and more finished sides mean more board and more labour.
  • Recent price increases. One Cape Town contractor reports local manufacturers raised prices by 10 to 15% early in 2026.

Brings the price down

  • Keeping the layout. Reusing existing plumbing and electrical positions is the biggest single saving, according to one Cape Town guide.
  • A facelift instead of a full refit. New doors, handles and tops on sound carcasses costs roughly R45,000 to R90,000.
  • Melamine carcasses with a better door. Spend on the parts you see and touch, and keep the carcass standard.
  • Laminate tops. Postform starts under R1,000 per metre fitted, and you can upgrade to stone later.
  • Keeping your appliances. Designing around existing appliances avoids a large separate bill.

An L-shaped kitchen: a worked example

Say your kitchen has an L-shaped run of 5 linear metres of units, with wood-grain wrapped doors, the sink and stove staying where they are. Using the Gauteng per-metre rates from one 2026 guide and a 10 to 15% contingency suggested by a Cape Town contractor:

  • Cupboards installed: 5 m × R6,500 to R9,400 = R32,500 to R47,000
  • Postform laminate tops: 5 m × R950 to R1,750 = R4,750 to R8,750
  • Subtotal: R37,250 to R55,750
  • Contingency at 10 to 15%: about R3,700 to R8,400
  • Estimated total: roughly R41,000 to R64,000

With quartz tops instead

Swap laminate for engineered quartz at R2,950 to R5,900 per metre and the tops cost R14,750 to R29,500. The total then moves to roughly R52,000 to R88,000. Appliances, splashback tiling, plumbing and electrical connections and removing the old kitchen come on top, which is why many medium kitchens end up in the R70,000 to R140,000 band.

What a kitchen quote should spell out

  • Linear metres of base, wall and tall units
  • Carcass board, door finish and edging
  • Hinge and drawer-runner brand and type
  • Countertop material, edge profile and cut-outs
  • Sink, tap and any appliances included
  • Removal of the old kitchen and disposal
  • Plumbing, electrical and gas work, with certificates
  • Splashback tiling, delivery and VAT

Where to spend and where to save

Put money into the parts that get used every day: drawer runners, hinges and the worktop around the sink. A melamine kitchen with good hardware and properly sealed edges often outlasts a sprayed kitchen with cheap runners.

Save on the parts that are easy to change later. Handles, a laminate top and even wall-unit doors can be upgraded in a few years without ripping out the carcasses. Changing the layout, on the other hand, is expensive to undo, so get that right first.

Costs people forget

  • A contingency of 10 to 15% for wall repairs, floor patching and surprises behind old units
  • Electrical compliance for new or moved points, and a gas certificate for a gas hob
  • Delivery and waste removal
  • Eating out or a temporary kitchen for the weeks the room is out of use

Do prices differ by region?

A Gauteng cupboard guide puts Pretoria and Centurion prices 10 to 15% below Johannesburg, and Sandton at a 20 to 30% premium. It also says urban areas such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town tend to cost more than smaller towns.

Cape Town contractors quote higher per-metre cabinetry rates than Gauteng sources. One puts economy cabinetry near R10,300 per metre and luxury near R20,300, and notes a 10 to 15% increase by Cape manufacturers early in 2026.

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Kitchen Installations cost questions

What does a small kitchen cost?

For about 3 m of units, 2026 guides put a small kitchen at roughly R35,000 to R70,000 in Gauteng, with Cape Town economy kitchens at R55,000 to R85,000. That usually covers cupboards and installation. Countertops, appliances and plumbing may be extra, so check each quote line by line.

How are kitchen cupboards priced per metre?

Most kitchen companies quote per linear metre of units, measured along the wall. Rates in 2026 run from about R4,700 to R8,000 for melamine, R6,500 to R13,800 for wrapped or wood-grain doors and up to R20,000 for premium finishes. Ask whether wall units and tall units are counted separately.

Is a kitchen facelift cheaper than a new kitchen?

Usually. A Cape Town guide puts a facelift, with new doors, handles, tops and a sink on existing carcasses, at about R45,000 to R90,000. A full mid-range renovation runs R90,000 to R200,000 there. A facelift only works if the carcasses are sound and dry, especially under the sink.

How much do countertops add to a kitchen?

A Gauteng kitchen company quotes postform laminate at R950 to R1,750 per linear metre fitted, granite at R2,100 to R4,100 and quartz at R2,950 to R5,900. On a 5 m kitchen, that's a difference of R10,000 to R20,000 or more. See our [countertop cost guide](/cost-guides/kitchen-countertops) for detail.

Do kitchen prices include VAT and installation?

The guides we used quote cupboard prices installed, but none says whether VAT is included. Many exclude countertops, old-unit removal, plumbing and electrical work. Ask each company to list VAT and every excluded item, so you're comparing complete kitchens rather than partial ones.

Sources

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