Bath Taps in South Africa: Mixers, Freestanding Taps and How to Choose the Right Ones

Bath taps get far less attention than the bath itself, yet they decide how it works: how quickly it fills, whether you can rinse your hair without a jug, and whether the plumbing goes into the wall, the bath rim or the floor. Choosing bath taps is also a decision to make early, because several types are built in before a single tile goes down. This guide covers the main types of bath taps available in South Africa, what each costs, and how to choose the right ones. You can browse our full range of bath taps as you read.

Why Bath Taps Are Different From Basin Taps

A basin tap only has to deliver a modest flow into a small bowl. Bath taps fill a much larger volume, so the spout has to reach well past the rim and direct a generous flow into the tub without splashing over the edge. That is why wall spouts made for baths tend to be longer: Blutide's wall spouts, for example, come in 200 mm and 250 mm lengths. Many bath taps also include a diverter, which switches the water between the spout and a hand shower or overhead shower. If you are planning basin and shower taps at the same time, our bathroom taps buying guide covers those in detail.

The Main Types of Bath Taps

Bath taps fall into four groups, defined by where they are mounted. Our bath tap collection holds more than 260 products across all four.

Wall-Mounted Bath Mixers

A wall-mounted (exposed) bath mixer sits on the wall above the bath, with the mixer body visible and connected to hot and cold pipes that come out of the wall. It is the most common and usually the most affordable option, and it suits built-in baths and shower baths against a wall. Many models include a hand shower on a hose, so one tap handles both bathing and rinsing. Blutide, Solo, Gio Bella and Hansgrohe all make wall-type bath mixers, and at the time of writing (November 2026) most cost around R1,250 to R4,500. Heritage-style AXOR designs such as the Montreux and Citterio sit at the top of the range, at around R23,000 to R44,000.

Wall-type mixers connect with offset connectors that absorb small differences in pipe spacing, and some ranges come in more than one offset version, so measure your pipe centres before you buy.

Concealed Bath and Shower Mixers

With a concealed mixer, the valve body sits inside the wall. Only the lever, the cover plate and a separate wall spout are visible. The look is cleaner and easier to wipe down, and a diverter lets the same mixer feed the bath spout and a shower. Our diverter mixers include more than 90 bath models, most of them for concealed installation. Concealed diverter mixers from Blutide and Gio Bella cost around R1,350 to R2,700 at the time of writing. You will also need a spout from our bath spouts and overflows range, where wall spouts start from around R350.

Hansgrohe and AXOR sell their concealed mixers in two parts: the visible finish set, and a concealed body that the plumber builds into the wall first. Their main body is the iBox universal, which Hansgrohe describes as suitable for all shower, bath tub and thermostat finish sets for concealed installation. It needs a mounting depth of 80 to 108 mm, so it has to go in before the wall is plastered and tiled. Hansgrohe bath finish sets start at under R1,000, and the concealed bodies we stock for them cost around R1,650 to R2,100. Check which body your finish set needs before you order, because a few ranges use their own basic set.

Deck-Mounted Bath Mixers

Deck-mounted taps fix onto the rim of the bath or onto a tiled ledge around it, so they suit built-in baths with a wide surround. Our deck-mounted range comes from Meir: Round deck-mounted bath mixers cost around R2,500 to R4,600 and matching deck spouts around R2,800 to R5,600 at the time of writing. Make sure the rim or ledge is wide enough for the tap before you commit.

Freestanding Bath Mixers

A freestanding (floor-standing) bath mixer rises from the floor beside the bath. It is the natural partner for a freestanding bath, because the bath sits away from the wall where a wall-mounted tap cannot reach. Our freestanding bath mixer collection holds more than 120 models, and over a third include a hand shower on a cradle. If you are still choosing the bath itself, our guide on how to choose a freestanding bath covers shapes, materials and sizes.

The catch is plumbing. The hot and cold supplies have to come up through the floor in exactly the right spot, so the mixer must be chosen and positioned before screeding and tiling. Many premium floor-standing mixers, including Hansgrohe's Tecturis S, are designed for concealed installation on a basic set that sits below the finished floor. Basic sets are a separate item, and most in our range cost around R5,300 to R9,000. Ask for the installation drawings for your mixer and bath together, so the plumber can set the inlets where the spout will reach the tub.

Bath Taps With a Hand Shower

A hand shower is the most useful extra you can add to a bath tap. It makes rinsing hair and cleaning the bath easier, helps when bathing small children, and on a shower bath it can stand in for a separate shower. On a concealed set-up, the diverter sends water to either the spout or the hand shower, so check that your mixer has the right number of outlets.

Thermostatic or Manual Control?

Most bath mixers are manual: a single lever or two handles set both flow and temperature together. A thermostatic mixer lets you set the temperature separately. A thermostatic mixing valve blends hot and cold water to keep the output temperature nearly constant, and it shuts off quickly if the hot or cold supply fails, which helps prevent scalding. That makes thermostatic control worth considering in a family bathroom. Browse our thermostatic mixer range for the options. For a bath with a shower above it, our bath tap collection also includes concealed AXOR Citterio E thermostatic modules with two or three outlets, from around R11,500 at the time of writing, so one control can supply the bath spout and a shower.

Choosing a Finish

Chrome is still the most common finish across our bath taps, followed by black. You will also find gun metal, brushed nickel, champagne, several bronzes, red gold and gold optic, led by Meir and AXOR. Black and darker metals stand out against pale tiles, marble and terrazzo, while brushed and champagne finishes soften a cooler scheme. Clean coloured finishes with a soft cloth and mild soap rather than abrasive products.

What Bath Taps Cost in South Africa

These are typical ranges from our store at the time of writing (November 2026). Prices change, so check the live collections for current pricing.

Remember to budget for the parts you do not see: concealed bodies, basic sets, spouts and the plumber's time.

How to Choose the Right Bath Taps

1. Start with the bath. A built-in bath can take any type of tap. A freestanding bath needs a floor-standing mixer, or a wall spout if it sits close to the wall.
2. Decide where the plumbing goes. Wall, rim or floor. Concealed and floor-standing taps must be fitted before plastering, screeding and tiling.
3. Check spout reach. The spout must clear the rim and reach far enough into the bath that water does not run down the outside.
4. Check the water pressure. Mixers list a minimum operating pressure. Hansgrohe's Tecturis S floor-standing mixer, for example, needs at least 1 bar.
5. Decide on extras. A hand shower, a diverter to an overhead shower, or thermostatic control.
6. Match the finish. Keep the bath tap consistent with the rest of the bathroom's tapware.

See Our Bath Taps in Person

Bath taps are easier to choose once you have seen the finishes side by side and felt how the levers move. Visit our Kramerville showroom to compare wall-mounted, concealed and freestanding bath mixers, or browse our bath tap collection online. If you are planning a renovation, contact our team early, and we will help you choose the taps, confirm the concealed parts you need and get the installation details to your plumber before tiling starts.