Landscaping in Limpopo

Polokwane: reservoir shortages and lawn irrigation

In January 2026 Polokwane Municipality reported that two Krugersburg reservoirs were critically low because demand was exceeding supply, and introduced nightly interruptions from 20:30 to 04:30 in Bendor, Fauna Park, Flora Park, Moeregloed, Serala View and Sterpark. By late February the municipality said inflow from its bulk supplier, Lepelle Northern Water, had dropped significantly, and asked residents to restrict lawn irrigation, car washing and pool filling and to reuse greywater where they could.

Business Day reported in October 2026 that 42 of the municipality's 45 wards had reported problems with water availability, and 19 had persistent shortages.

For a new garden in the affected suburbs, that means:

• Keep lawn to the area you really use; it's the first thing you'll be asked to stop watering.
• Group thirsty plants into one zone you can hand-water from a tank.
• Avoid scheduling irrigation inside the nightly interruption window.
• Ask the landscaper how greywater from the house could reach your beds.

Drilling a borehole in Polokwane

If you're thinking of a borehole for the garden, Polokwane's water by-law penalties, listed in its tariff schedule, set out where and when you may drill. A borehole must be sunk inside your own erf boundaries, and only Monday to Saturday between 07:00 and 17:00. You may not drill on the sidewalk without the council's prior written consent, and the owner must keep the borehole properly closed and safeguarded. Contraventions carry fines of more than R10,000 in the schedule, and wasting borehole water is also penalised.

Nationally, reasonable domestic use, including watering a small garden, doesn't need registration with the Department of Water and Sanitation. The municipal rules apply regardless.

Storms, floods and a split climate

The January 2026 floods damaged close to 2,000 homes across the Waterberg, Capricorn, Vhembe, Mopani and Sekhukhune districts, with Giyani and Tzaneen among the worst hit. The hail season runs from October to March and peaks in November, usually in the afternoon.

In the wetter east, design beds and paths to carry heavy run-off away from the house. In the semi-arid Limpopo basin, choose plants that can live on rainfall once established, because irrigation can't be relied on.