Landscaping in the Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape gardens swing between drought and flood, and in Nelson Mandela Bay even full dams haven't meant reliable taps. Design for both.
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Few places show how unreliable garden water can be as clearly as Nelson Mandela Bay. In February 2026 the drought across the three Cape provinces was declared a national disaster, and by mid-March the metro's combined dam levels were about 40%. By May, two days of heavy rain had filled all five supply dams, yet within days The Herald reported empty taps in parts of the city because two treatment works were out of production.
A garden here should not depend on a hosepipe running every day. That points towards local plants, and for many homeowners, towards a borehole.
Different rain seasons across one province
The Eastern Cape doesn't have one planting season. A 2020 study in Climate Dynamics found that the western and southern coastal areas, including Gqeberha, get rain all year round, while the eastern and northern interior gets most of its rain in summer.
In Gqeberha that gives you more freedom over when to plant. In Komani or Mthatha, aim to have new planting in the ground as the summer rains arrive, so you're not carrying it through a dry winter on irrigation.
Boreholes in Nelson Mandela Bay need the metro's consent
The national Department of Water and Sanitation confirmed in July 2026 that households using borehole water for reasonable domestic purposes, including watering a small non-commercial garden, don't need to register under the National Water Act. It also said municipal by-laws are separate, and Nelson Mandela Bay's set out their own requirements.
The metro publishes its own borehole registration form. Its Water and Sanitation Services By-laws say nobody may use water from a source other than the municipal supply without the Executive Director's prior consent, which can require evidence that the water meets the SANS 241 drinking water standard or poses no danger to health. Owners must also keep approved backflow prevention, such as an air gap into a storage tank or a backflow preventer.
- Register the borehole with the metro once it's drilled.
- If irrigation runs off the borehole, ask the installer to show where the backflow protection sits.
- Keep the borehole driller's details and yield figures; the registration form asks for them.
Spekboom: a local shrub you can grow from cuttings
The Eastern Cape is home ground for spekboom (porkbush), the succulent that Addo's elephants browse. SANBI's PlantZAfrica describes it as growing in full sun or semi-shade, in dry spots or watered beds, tolerating moderate frost once mature, and binding soil against erosion. It can be grown as a screen or clipped hedge.
It's also cheap to establish. Cuttings and truncheons root easily and can go straight into the ground where they're to grow. For a large bank or a budget-conscious makeover, that can replace a lot of bought shrubs.
Landscaping prices in the Eastern Cape
We didn't find any source showing that landscaping prices in the Eastern Cape differ reliably from the national ranges. The bigger cost variable here is water: a borehole and pump are priced separately from a standard irrigation system and can dwarf the cost of the planting.
Use the landscaping cost guide for itemised ranges, and read what to check before you hire.
Where in the Eastern Cape
You can request quotes from anywhere in the province, including Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City, Gqeberha, Kariega, East London, Mthatha, Makhanda, Komani, Jeffreys Bay, Port Alfred. Choose your region and suburb in the form, and providers who cover your area will quote.
Landscaping in the Eastern Cape: questions
Do I need to register a borehole in Gqeberha?
With the metro, yes. Nelson Mandela Bay has its own borehole registration form, and its by-laws require the Executive Director's consent before you use non-municipal water. Nationally, the Department of Water and Sanitation says ordinary domestic and small garden use doesn't need registration under the National Water Act.
When should I plant a new garden in the Eastern Cape?
It depends where you are. Gqeberha and the western and southern coast get rain all year, so timing is flexible. Inland and in the east, most rain falls in summer, so plant as the rains start rather than going into a dry winter.
Is spekboom a good garden plant?
For the Eastern Cape, it's one of the easiest. SANBI says it grows in sun or semi-shade, handles dry conditions and moderate frost once mature, binds soil, and can be clipped as a hedge. Cuttings can be planted straight where you want them, which keeps costs down.
What backflow protection does Nelson Mandela Bay require?
The by-laws list an air gap where water discharges into a storage tank, a reduced-pressure backflow preventer, a double check backflow preventer, or another approved measure that does the same job. The aim is to stop borehole or garden water flowing back into the municipal supply.
Sources
- NMBM Borehole Registration (with applicable Water and Sanitation Services By-law clauses), Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
- Borehole registration not required for domestic use, department confirms, Rekord (The Citizen), 22 July 2026
- Nelson Mandela Bay dams full but taps empty, The Herald, 8 May 2026
- Nelson Mandela Bay dams surge to 100% in 48 hours, Algoa FM, 7 May 2026
- Drought or dysfunction: What's really driving Nelson Mandela Bay's water crisis?, Daily Maverick (Kyran Blaauw), 17 March 2026
- Drought in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa and trends in rainfall characteristics, Mahlalela, Blamey, Hart and Reason, Climate Dynamics, 2020
- Portulacaria afra, PlantZAfrica, South African National Biodiversity Institute
Last updated 28 October 2026.
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