Low yield and poor leaf quality from tobacco under sprinkler irrigation can often be ascribed to poor management, faulty design and bad maintenance of equipment. Many crops as well as tobacco responded well to the high moisture regime provided by drip irrigation. It is difficult to make a comparison of irrigation systems from results obtained on a farm basis as soil and agronomy practices may differ. The objective of this study was to make a proper comparison between drip and sprinkler irrigated flue-cured tobacco at different agronomy practices. By conducting the comparison at Rustenburg, Groblersdal and Nelspruit the importance of soil types and climatic conditions were also evaluated. Drip and sprinkler irrigation systems were designed to apply the same amounts of water and both were well maintained and managed. Different cultivars at three nitrogen levels as factorial treatments were included in these trials. All other production procedures were the same. The drip irrigated tobacco outyielded the sprinkler system by 10 to 70% (3000 to 3600 kg ha-1) and a better grade of marketable leaf was obtained. The same amount of water was applied by the two systems, but due to higher efficiency of the drip irrigated system it received effectively 55 to 208 mm more water. The energy costs for pumping the water were 4,5 to 5,6 times lower with the drip systems than at the sprinkler systems. This saving in costs covered the initial higher price of the drip system within one to three seasons.