Security equipment is everything a guard, a site and a control room need on top of the cameras and fences: uniforms and reflective jackets, boots, two-way radios, torches, guard tour systems, panic buttons, guardhouses and mobile camera towers. Security companies buy in bulk for new contracts, while a body corporate, a school or a factory may need only a guardhouse or a few radios for its own staff. Send one request with the items and numbers, and independent suppliers quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
What a guard needs to do the job
A guard's kit is practical before it is anything else. The usual list for a site post is:
- Uniform: shirt and trousers or overalls, a jacket for winter nights, a rain coat and a reflective vest so drivers see the guard in a yard or on a road.
- Footwear: safety boots with a steel toe on industrial and construction sites, plain black boots elsewhere.
- Communication: a two-way radio on the site channel, or a cellphone with a dedicated number, plus a whistle as a backup.
- Light and records: a rechargeable torch, the occurrence book and a pen, and a checkpoint wand if the site runs a guard tour.
Batons, handcuffs and pepper spray are carried only under the security company's own policy and within the law. Ask the company what it issues and how its officers are trained, rather than buying these items for guards yourself.
Guard tour systems, panic buttons and body cameras
A guard tour system uses small checkpoints fixed round the site and a wand that the guard touches at each one. The log shows the time of every visit, so a manager can see that the rounds were done. Cheaper systems store the data in the wand, while others upload it automatically. Panic buttons can be a fixed button in a guardhouse or a wearable one that signals the control room. Body cameras are used by some companies for evidence and training; under POPIA, tell people they are being recorded and decide who may view and keep the footage. See security guards for how posts and records work.
Guardhouses, camera towers and site facilities
Remote and new sites often need the shelter itself. A prefabricated guardhouse with a window, a desk and a light can be delivered on a truck, and some come with a small toilet or a connection for a portable one. A mobile camera tower carries cameras, floodlights and a solar panel with batteries, and it can be moved when the work does. Towers are common on building sites and in open yards, as explained under site security. Check the footing, the power supply and whether the tower needs a 4G signal to send video.
Buy or lease, and ordering in bulk
Buying suits kit that lasts, such as boots, torches and radios. Leasing or renting suits towers and guardhouses for a project of a few months, because you hand them back and avoid the maintenance. Security companies ordering uniforms for a growing guard force should ask suppliers for sample sizes, a repeat-order price, a lead time for embroidery and a stock of common sizes. Look at the stitching, the fabric weight and the reflective tape, and ask what the supplier will replace under warranty.
What to include in your request
- The items and sizes you need
- How many guards or posts the kit is for
- Whether you want to buy, hire or lease
- Delivery address and the date you need it
- Any logo, embroidery or colour requirements
Security Equipment for different sites
- Homeowners and families: a rechargeable torch, a panic button and a radio for a domestic or garden security officer
- Estates, complexes and body corporates: uniforms, radios and a guardhouse at the boom gate, with checkpoints for the estate patrol
- Offices, shops and retail centres: uniforms and a radio for the entrance guard, plus panic buttons at tills and reception
- Factories, warehouses and yards: safety boots, hi-vis, radios and a guard tour system across a large yard
- Building sites and contractors: a guardhouse, a solar camera tower and reflective kit for night and weekend guards
- Farms and smallholdings: radios that reach the farmhouse, torches and a portable shelter at a remote gate
- Events, venues, hotels and lodges: smart uniforms, radios for the event team and wristbands or lanyards for access
- Schools, clinics and churches: high-visibility vests and radios for school gate guards and parking marshals
Frequently asked questions
Are you a security equipment supplier?
What should a quote for guard uniforms list?
Can I buy batons, handcuffs or pepper spray for my guards?
Is it better to hire a guardhouse or buy one?
Security Equipment 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