Security prices in South Africa vary with the site, the grade of officer and the risk, so anyone who quotes a single figure without seeing the property is guessing. The ranges below are rough 2026 guides in rand, meant to help you budget and spot a quote that is far too high or too low. They are not offers. Send one request and independent, PSIRA-registered security companies and installers that work in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Rough prices for 2026
- Guards: R14,000 to R28,000 a month per 12-hour post, the top end for armed officers. See security guards.
- Armed response: R400 to R1,000 a month. Off-site CCTV monitoring is about R170 to R375 per camera a month, excluding VAT.
- CCTV cameras: R800 to R5,000 per camera to buy, before installation.
- Alarm system: R3,000 to R13,000 installed. Outdoor beams are R2,500 to R10,000 per beam set installed.
- Electric fence: R200 to R550 a metre, plus the energiser and certificate. Razor wire is R100 to R450 a metre.
- Gate motor: R3,500 to R14,000 supplied and installed.
- Burglar bars: R500 to R2,500 per square metre, made and fitted.
Guarding is priced per month because a post is a salary, uniform, supervision and relief. Hardware is priced per item or per metre, and the lower end suits a simple installation with easy access. Patrols, event guards, K9 units, CCTV installation, access control and intercoms vary too much from site to site for a fair guide, so compare written quotes for those.
Three worked examples
A family home: an alarm (R3,000 to R13,000), two beam sets (R5,000 to R20,000), a sliding gate motor (R3,500 to R14,000) and armed response (R400 to R1,000 a month). The set-up comes to roughly R11,500 to R47,000 once, plus the monthly fee. Cameras would be quoted on top after a site visit.
A small business: a shop with an alarm (R3,000 to R13,000), 30 metres of electric fence on the rear wall (R6,000 to R16,500, plus the energiser and certificate) and 8 cameras on off-site monitoring (R1,360 to R3,000 a month, excluding VAT). The camera installation is priced per job.
A complex of 40 units: a 24-hour gate post is two 12-hour posts (R28,000 to R56,000 a month), plus 300 metres of electric fence (R60,000 to R165,000). Spread over 40 units, the guarding alone is R700 to R1,400 a unit a month in levies. Access control and cameras at the gate are quoted per site. Compare with estate security.
What pushes the price up
A larger site, difficult access for cables, armed officers, night shifts, supervisors and a vehicle all raise the price. So do higher camera resolution, longer recording times, stainless fittings for the coast and a certificate when you sell. Lightning-prone areas need surge protection, and remote farms add travel for installers and response. Lower prices come from a simple layout, existing walls and wiring and a longer contract.
How to compare quotes
Line the quotes up item by item. For guards, compare the number of posts, grades, supervision and relief cover. For electronics, compare camera count and resolution, recording days, who owns the equipment, warranty and the monthly fee. An unusually cheap quote often leaves out something, such as cabling, a certificate, a battery or a call-out. Ask each company to write down what is excluded. See security companies for how to check registration.
What to include in your request
- The type of site and its address or suburb
- Everything you want priced, in one list
- The security you already have
- Guard hours, or camera and fence numbers
- Whether you want to pay once or monthly
Security Price Guide for different sites
- Homeowners and families: an alarm, beams, a gate motor and an armed response contract, with cameras quoted per site
- Estates, complexes and body corporates: guard posts paid from levies, plus gate access control, cameras and a fence budget
- Offices, shops and retail centres: an alarm and cameras with monitored response, plus guards only if trading hours need them
- Factories, warehouses and yards: guard posts around the clock, perimeter detection and cameras, priced per post and per metre
- Building sites and contractors: guard posts for the project length and hired camera towers priced by the month
- Farms and smallholdings: fence per metre, solar cameras and response from a rural network, with travel added
- Events, venues, hotels and lodges: guards by the event day or the month, plus cameras and access at entrances
- Schools, clinics and churches: a gate guard in school hours, alarms and fencing, planned around a fixed budget
Frequently asked questions
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Security Price Guide 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