How to choose a security company in South Africa
The people guarding your home or business should be the most carefully checked people you hire. Here is how to choose a security company in South Africa, check its PSIRA registration, and spot the operators cutting corners before they are on your property.
PSIRA registration is not optional
In South Africa, anyone who provides a security service has to be registered with PSIRA, the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, under the Private Security Industry Regulation Act. That applies twice:
- The company must be registered as a security service provider.
- Every guard, officer and armed response officer it sends must be registered individually.
A registered company using unregistered guards is still breaking the law, and it is your property they are standing on. Ask for both.
How to check a security company
Four checks, about fifteen minutes in total:
- PSIRA number. Ask for the company's PSIRA registration number and check it with PSIRA, which offers a verification service for registered businesses and officers. Confirm the registration is current, not lapsed.
- CIPC registration. Check the company itself is real and in business. Our guide on how to check if a company is registered walks through it.
- The guards. Each officer should carry an ID card showing their PSIRA number. Ask to see it, and ask what grade they are.
- References. Speak to two or three current clients with a property like yours: a home, an estate, a shop or a site.
What the PSIRA grades mean
Security officers are trained to grades from E (entry level) up to A (the most senior). The grade tells you what an officer is trained for: a guard at a gate, a control room supervisor and a site manager need different levels.
Ask the company which grade it will put on your site and what it will charge for that grade. A quote that is far cheaper than everyone else's often means lower-grade or unregistered officers, or guards paid below the industry minimum. Neither ends well for you.
Armed response: ask one more question
If the company offers armed response, the officers carrying firearms also need to be licensed and competent to do so under the Firearms Control Act, on top of their PSIRA registration. Ask how they handle that and whether it is current for every armed officer.
Ask about response times too, for your actual street rather than the suburb in general, and what happens when the closest vehicle is already out on a call.
Get the contract right
Before you sign, make sure the contract spells out:
- Exactly what is covered: guarding hours, patrols, alarm monitoring, armed response.
- How many officers, at what grade, and on which shifts.
- Response times and how they are measured.
- What the company is liable for, and proof of its insurance.
- The notice period and how to cancel.
Under the Consumer Protection Act, a fixed-term consumer contract can be cancelled on 20 business days' notice, though a reasonable cancellation penalty may apply. Read that clause before you sign, not after.
Red flags worth walking away from
- No PSIRA number, or a promise to send it later.
- Guards without PSIRA ID cards, or who can't tell you their grade.
- A price far below every other quote.
- Cash only, or payment into a personal bank account.
- No written contract, or one that doesn't name the services and response times.
- No current clients willing to speak to you.
One of these on its own might have an explanation. With security, two together is enough to walk away.
Start from a checked shortlist
Every business on BizBoost has had its CIPC registration and director ID checked before it appears, so you start from companies that are real and accountable. Security companies can show their PSIRA number on their profile, so you can run the PSIRA check above straight from it.
Browse verified security companies and see exactly what we check.
Common questions
Does a security company need to be registered with PSIRA?
Yes. The Private Security Industry Regulation Act requires every security service provider in South Africa to be registered with PSIRA, and every security officer it deploys must be registered individually too.
How do I check if a security company is PSIRA registered?
Ask the company for its PSIRA registration number and check it with PSIRA, which offers a verification service for registered security businesses and officers. Make sure the registration is current, and ask the guards on your site to show their PSIRA ID cards.
What do PSIRA grades A to E mean?
They are training levels for security officers. Grade E is entry level and Grade A is the most senior. The grade on your site should match the job, and a quote that is much cheaper than others can mean lower-grade or unregistered officers.
What should be in a security company contract?
The services covered, the number and grade of officers and their shifts, response times and how they are measured, the company's liability and insurance, and the notice period. Under the Consumer Protection Act, a fixed-term consumer contract can be cancelled on 20 business days' notice, though a reasonable cancellation penalty may apply.
Does BizBoost check PSIRA registration?
BizBoost checks every business's CIPC registration and director ID before it appears. Security companies can show their PSIRA number on their profile, so you can check it with PSIRA yourself in a few minutes.