Security: say what exactly you’re looking for

Security guards in South Africa: prices, PSIRA and what to ask

Updated 4 November 2026

Approximately, according to sellers' websites in November 2026, unarmed guard cover in South Africa starts from R 14,500 a month, and seven-day cover from R 28,000. A typical monthly cost for a security company contract sits between R 31,000 and R 63,000. To get offers for your site, post a request on BlaBlaPrice and describe the hours and posts you need.

Licences and fees: PSIRA

Security officers in South Africa register with PSIRA, the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority. Listings quote an individual registration of R 550 per grade, a PSIRA registration fee of R 290 for some combined grade courses, and skills courses of about R 2,100 per level. PSIRA's fee schedule also shows a 4% annual subscription deducted from security officers. A company director needs at least a Grade B registration, according to the same sources.

Season and shifts

Summer runs from December to February. If your site needs cover over the festive period, give the exact start and end dates in your request, so that sellers can price the shifts you actually need.

Delivery and how the service is bought

Guard cover is usually priced per post, per month or per seven days, so ask which one each offer uses and how many hours a day it covers. Cover in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town and Gqeberha is offered, and a company in one city may not cover every site, so ask the seller to confirm the area in the offer.

What to write in your request

Say the site and city, the number of posts, the hours each day and whether the guards must be armed or unarmed. Mention if you need a night watchman or a patrol. Give your monthly budget in rand. Sellers can then quote per post and per month on the same terms, which makes the offers easy to compare.

BlaBlaPrice is free for buyers. You describe the cover you need in your own words in the chat, and the AI reads it, asks for missing details and looks through sellers' websites and price lists in South Africa. It then shows you the prices and businesses it found. Registered sellers reply in the chat with their offer and terms, and your contact details stay hidden until you decide to share them. For specific roles, see security guard and watchman.