Security companies in South Africa do far more than put a guard at the gate. The same firm may install your CCTV and alarm, link it to a control room, send an armed response vehicle when it triggers and service your electric fence. Others specialise in one thing, such as guarding a warehouse or securing a festival. Send one request with the site, the risk and what you have now, and PSIRA-registered security companies that work in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
What security companies offer
Most requests fall into three layers, and the best protection usually combines them:
- People: security guards on fixed posts, patrol officers, control room operators and armed response officers who come out when an alarm goes off.
- Electronics: CCTV, intruder alarms, outdoor beams, access control and intercoms, often with off-site monitoring.
- Barriers: walls, electric fencing, razor wire, gates and burglar bars that slow an intruder down long enough for the first two layers to work.
A home in a quiet suburb may need only an alarm, beams and a response contract. A logistics yard on the East Rand may need guards around the clock, perimeter cameras with analytics and a patrol vehicle.
Check registration before you sign
Every security business and every security officer in South Africa must be registered with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA). Ask for the company's PSIRA number and the grades of the officers they will place: grade E and D are entry levels, grade C is the usual level for a site guard, and grades B and A are for supervisors and managers. Armed officers also need firearm competency for the type of firearm they carry.
Ask for proof of public liability insurance, a letter of good standing for workplace injury cover, and a reference from a client with a similar site. Guards' wages are set by the sectoral determination for the private security sector, so a quote far below the market rate often means short-staffed shifts or unpaid overtime.
What drives the price
Guarding is priced per post per month. A post is one position covered for a shift, so a gate covered 24 hours a day is two 12-hour posts, and each post needs more than one guard on the roster to allow for days off. Armed officers, supervisors and a vehicle add to the rate. Electronic security is priced per camera, per beam, per door or per metre of fence, plus a monthly fee for monitoring and response. As a rough 2026 guide, a 12-hour guard post costs R14,000 to R28,000 a month and armed response R400 to R1,000 a month. See our security price guide for more.
Getting quotes you can compare
Ask each company for a free site survey and a written proposal that covers the same things: the number of posts and shifts, the grade of officers, supervision visits, the response time they commit to, equipment included, the contract length and the notice period. For electronics, check the camera resolution and lens, the recording days, who owns the equipment, and what the monthly fee covers. Ask how incidents are reported to you, by app, occurrence book or monthly report.
What to include in your request
- The type of site and its address or suburb
- What you want covered and for how many hours
- The security you have now
- Recent incidents or the main risk
- When you want it to start
Security Companies for different sites
- Homeowners and families: an alarm linked to armed response, outdoor beams and a few cameras on the boundary
- Estates, complexes and body corporates: guards at the gatehouse, access control, perimeter cameras and an estate patrol
- Offices, shops and retail centres: a guard at the entrance in trading hours and monitored alarms after hours
- Factories, warehouses and yards: guards round the clock, perimeter cameras and gate searches for trucks
- Building sites and contractors: night and weekend guards, mobile camera towers and a site patrol
- Farms and smallholdings: perimeter beams, solar cameras and response from a rural security network
- Events, venues, hotels and lodges: event staff, guest access control and cameras on parking and entrances
- Schools, clinics and churches: a guard at the gate in school or clinic hours and alarms after hours
Frequently asked questions
Are you a security company?
How do I check if a security company is registered?
How many guards do I need?
Can one company do guarding and CCTV?
Security Companies by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg