New mafia thriving on South Africa’s high crime rate

South Africa’s high crime rate and distrust in the police have fueled growth in private security, but this has also allowed mafia-style militias to bully and extort citizens.

The latest Real Economy Bulletin published by Trade & Industry Policy Strategies (TIPS) highlighted the importance of private security for job creation over the past 15 years.

The economic research firm noted that from 2009 to 2024, the number of private security employees in South Africa has surged by over 50%.

It added growth in private security workers, who accounted for 9% of all net new employment over the past 15 years.

The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) annual report for 2024 reveals similar numbers and shows that this increase in private security is accelerating.

According to the report, 16,453 registered private security businesses are operating nationwide, a 102% increase from the 8,144 registered in 2014.

Additionally, in 1997, there were 115,331 registered security officials in the private security industry.

Recent statistics indicate that this has risen to 608,977 active personnel (as of 2024), with the majority operating in Gauteng.

In contrast, the South African Police Service (SAPS) policing numbers have declined while the population has continued to grow.

In 2014, there were 152,977 frontline officers for an estimated 54 million people. This decreased to 145,256 officers for a population of over 63 million.

This has resulted in rampant crime across the country, and the SAPS is struggling to police communities and investigate serious crimes.

South Africa recorded a marked decrease in crime levels over the third quarter of the 2024/25 financial year, with violent crimes, particularly, seeing a welcome decline.

Despite the improvement, however, the country still recorded an alarming number of murders in the calendar year, delivering a murder rate of 42 per 100,00 people—one of the highest rates in the world.

Considering this, at the end of 2024, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu called for greater collaboration between the police and private security firms.

He said such a collaboration will confront the country’s rapidly evolving crime situation and prevent it from becoming a criminal state.

Mafia-style private security

While the boom in security businesses is a positive development in a country plagued by crime, it has also created an opportunity for criminal elements to embed themselves within the sector.

Chad Thomas, security expert and CEO of Johannesburg-based IRS Forensic Investigations, has raised the alarm over a disturbing trend in which individuals with links to organised crime acquire security companies and use them as personal militias.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Thomas highlighted this issue following a fatal shooting at the Solo restaurant in Sandton last week.

“Moneyed individuals who are bad actors or have links to the underworld are buying up security companies,” he explained.

“We’re seeing this all the time. These bad actors use fronts to buy up security companies, leveraging them for their egos and as proxy armies.”

According to Thomas, the people operate under the guise of private security and use their legitimacy to intimidate, harass, and settle personal scores.

Some even travel in large convoys resembling those of high-profile politicians, reinforcing their presence and influence.

“They are using security companies now to settle scores, to bully and harass. It’s a deplorable situation where money can buy you a militia,” Thomas said.

He explained that the involvement of private security gives these operations a veneer of legitimacy, making it less likely for law enforcement to intervene.

With police stretched thin and often hesitant to challenge private security personnel, these groups continue to operate with impunity.

Another issue compounding the problem is the existence of unregistered private security companies, which further complicates the PSiRA oversight efforts.

Gareth Newham from the Institute for Security Studies pointed out that PSiRA is under-resourced and struggling to monitor the more than 16,000 active security companies in South Africa.

According to its 2023-24 annual report, PSiRA conducted compliance inspections at only 7,886 businesses, leaving significant gaps in regulatory enforcement.