Rising Crime Rates Pose Growing Concern in South Africa

South Africa is currently facing a steep rise in crime, with an average of 75 killings and 400 robberies with aggravating circumstances every day, according to official statistics. Despite being Africa’s most developed country, it also has one of the highest violent crime rates in the world.

Experts have warned that the South African police are losing the battle against crime, which has led those citizens who can afford it to turn to a booming private security industry. There are more than 2.7 million registered private security officers in the country, making South Africa’s security industry one of the largest in the world, compared to fewer than 150,000 police officers for the country’s 62 million people.

Private security companies earn a monthly fee for patrolling neighbourhoods and providing armed response to their clients’ alarm systems. They also offer tracking and car recovery services, often involving them in high-speed chases of car thieves and hijackers. Figures from the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) show that the number of security businesses in South Africa grew by 43% in the past decade. In comparison, the number of registered security officers has increased by 44%.

Private security officers perform the role of the police in many circumstances, patrolling suburbs in east Johannesburg. They often fill the gap in security services left by strained law enforcement. Private security firms specialise in tracking and recovering hijacked and stolen vehicles.

A suspect scooter is tracked from a private security vehicle east of Johannesburg, South Africa (Denis Farrell/AP)

They use advanced technology, such as car registration identification and tracking devices, to locate stolen vehicles and apprehend suspects. For example, Anton Koen, a former police officer who now runs a private security firm that specialises in tracking and recovering hijacked and stolen vehicles, is armed with an assault rifle and wears a bulletproof vest as he patrols in his response vehicle, which is fitted with cameras and has car registration identification technology that can pick up suspected stolen vehicles.

However, private security services are only available to those who can afford them, highlighting the stark inequality that afflicts South Africa. Most South Africans still need to rely on an under-resourced and struggling police force. More than 580,000 private security guards are currently active and employed, more than the police and army combined, according to figures from PSIRA. However, people with money make up a tiny percentage of South Africa, meaning that most South Africans still need to benefit from this security industry. Those who live in a traditional township or informal settlement are unlikely to see security patrols in those areas because they do not have paying customers.

Violent crime in South Africa has spiked over the past decade after a period when it decreased substantially. There were 27,494 killings in South Africa in the year to February 2023, compared with 16,213 in 2012-2013. South Africa’s homicide rate in 2022-2023 was 45 per 100,000 people, compared with a rate of 6.3 in the United States and around one in most European countries. Many experts tie the high levels of violent crime in South Africa to anger over the country’s deep problems of poverty.

Anton Koen, a former police officer who now runs a private security firm (Denis Farrell/AP)

The police say that 10,000 new police officers will be going into service starting in 2024 to reverse the trend. This means more boots on the ground and more members who can reach more communities and deliver more services.

In an indication that police are overwhelmed, local government authorities in the Gauteng province, which includes Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest city, have recently introduced their crime wardens to help with law enforcement. The uniformed but unarmed wardens provide support to police operations, though they have faced questions over their legal status. Crime can thrive in an environment where there is a disorganised police force. The police force is disorganised not because they set out to be disorganised but simply because they need more resources or capacity.

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