A garden looks after itself for about three months — then it doesn't. Whether you need a once-off "let's get this back under control", a weekly maintenance team, or a full landscape design, the difference between a great gardener and an OK one is structure.
What gardening and landscaping covers
- Weekly or fortnightly maintenance (lawn, hedges, beds, leaves)
- Once-off garden rescues (overgrown, post-tenant)
- Tree trimming and shaping (large fellings need a separate specialist)
- New lawn — sod or seed
- Landscape design and full installations
- Irrigation install and repair
- Compost, mulch, and bed preparation
What gardening costs in South Africa (2026)
Standard maintenance for a medium garden runs R450-R900 per visit (2 people, 3-4 hours). Once-off rescues are R1,800-R6,500 depending on overgrowth. New sod runs R65-R110 per square metre installed (LM, kikuyu) plus R550-R900 for soil prep per cubic metre. Full landscape designs from R12,000 for the design and R350-R900 per square metre for the installation depending on hardscape vs softscape ratio.
What to look for
- Plant knowledge — names, water needs, light needs.
- Photos of mature gardens they've done — gardens look different at year 1 vs year 3.
- Tools they bring vs ones you supply — clarify upfront.
- Garden-refuse removal arrangement — usually extra.
Handi-za gardeners list whether they're maintenance-focused or design-focused, plus the suburbs they cover. Post the job with photos and you'll get the right quotes from the start.