Government

This is what car guards and private security officers get paid in South Africa

Staff Writer

 ·3 Jan 2023

The Department of Employment and Labour has gazetted the latest schedules from the bargaining council for the private security industry in South Africa, laying out the minimum wages for security guards and admin staff in the sector for 2023 and beyond.

The schedules will come into effect from 2 March 2023 and will remain in force until 28 February 2027.

The agreements from the bargaining council apply to all employees who work in the private security sector, including those associated with guarding or protecting fixed property, goods, people and employees.

It also includes other categories of employees like car guards, in-house security contractors and other employees in non-standard service arrangements. It excludes cash-in-transit security, however, as this falls under the bargaining council for the road freight and logistics industry, the department said.

The salaries and wages paid to private security employees are split between two main area groups and can either be expressed as monthly pay or hourly pay, the department noted.

The two groups are:

• Areas 1 & 2: Alberton, Belbille, Benoni, Bloemfontein, Boksburg, Brakpan, Camperdown, Chatsworth, Durban, East London, Germiston, Goodwood, Inanda, Johannesburg, Kempton Park, Kimberly, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Kulis River, Mitchell’s Plain, Nigel, Oberholzer, Paarl, Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown, Gqeberha, Tshwane, Randfontein, Randburg, Roodepoort, Sasolburg, Simon’s Town, Somerset West, Springs, Stellenbosch, Strand, The Cape, Uitenhage, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging, Westonaria, Wonderboom and Wynberg.
• Area 3: All other areas.

For the period 2 March to 28 February 2024, these are the prescribed minimum wages per month and per hour:

CCO = Communication Centre Operator 

The schedules also include agreed increases through to February 2027, which will see the minimum wage for a top-graded security office increase from R6,907 per month in 2023/24 to R8,184 per month in 2026/27.

The hourly wage equivalent to the monthly salary is payable to casual employees, the department said.

The schedules also stipulate additional allowances for security officials who work night shifts, taking place between the hours of 18h00 and 06h00. This allowance is R6.00 per shift in 2023/24 and escalated to R8.00 per shift in 2026/27.

The full schedules can be seen below:

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