Motor grader for sale in South Africa — 2026 buyer's guide

If you're doing municipal road maintenance, mine haul road grading, gravel road rehab or bulk earthworks final trim in South Africa, you're on a 140hp motor grader with a 3.7m (14-foot) blade. That's the class the market runs on.

Motor grader pricing in SA (2026)

• Shantui SG21-3 (140hp, 3.7m blade): R2.15m–R2.35m
• Shantui SG24-3 (240hp, 4.2m blade): R3.4m–R3.8m
• Cat 140K (equivalent to SG21-3): R4.8m–R5.3m
• Cat 160K (equivalent to SG24-3): R6.4m–R7.2m
• Used Cat 140G (10,000h+): R850k–R1.4m

Sizing the grader

• 140hp / 3.7m blade: the SA standard — municipal roads, mine haul, bulk earthworks final trim
• 190–240hp / 4.2m blade: open-pit mines, high-production haul roads, big bulk earthworks

Hire rates in SA (2026)

Standard dry-hire rate for a 140hp grader is R950–R1,200/h. Wet-hire (with operator and diesel) sits at R1,300–R1,600/h. Municipal contracts often price per km of road blade-maintained rather than per hour — that's usually R280–R450/km on gravel.

Full breakdown in my rental rate comparison. Punch line: rate is identical whether you're on a Shantui or a Cat, so the payback on the Shantui is roughly 3× faster.

Used grader — what to check

• Articulation joint play — over 3mm needs full rebuild (R80k+)
• Tandem drives — oil analysis and inspection
• Blade circle wear and slew ring backlash
• Front wheel lean cylinders — leaks kill grade accuracy
• Transmission service records — Allison rebuilds are R250k+

Finance and tax

All four big banks finance new Shantui and Cat graders. 15–20% deposit, 48–60 month terms. Section 12C accelerated depreciation applies (40/20/20/20% over 4 years) — a serious tax shield on a R2m+ machine.