The public service that private companies are quietly taking over in South Africa
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has experienced a concerning decline in its workforce over the past decade, while the private sector is booming amid rampant crime across the country.
South Africa has faced an increase in violent crime over the past decade or so, causing many to turn to private security as trust in the police wanes.
A new report from the Human Sciences Research Council shows how little faith South Africans have in the police. Only 22% of people trusted SAPS in 2024, while distrust has climbed to 62%, up from 40% in 2005.
The decline in trust has accelerated in the last five years, as violent crime continues to affect households across the country.
At the same time, Newsday reported that private security has become one of South Africa’s fastest-growing industries.
The Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA) reported that 9,744 companies were registered in 2020.
That number jumped to more than 15,000 by 2023 and reached 16,453 by March 2024. Ten years ago, there were just over 8,000 active firms, meaning the figure had doubled in a decade.
The number of security officers has also grown rapidly. In 2024, there were almost 609,000 active private security officers, compared to about 548,000 a few years earlier.
In total, nearly 3 million people are registered with the industry. In comparison, the SAPS has just over 140,000 frontline officers serving a population of 62 million.
Ten years ago, there were around 153,000 police officers for a smaller population of 54 million. The United Nations recommends one police officer for every 220 people, but in South Africa, the ratio is one to 440.
The private security sector has grown from a 50,000-man industry in 2001 to over 600,000 active security officers today. They outnumber the SAPS three to one.
The reason for the private sector boom is simple
This shrinking police force means people are turning to private security to fill the gap. Services range from armed response units to guarding homes, businesses, and public spaces.
The demand is being driven by the country’s high levels of violent crime. Statistics South Africa noted that crime affects households everywhere, from cities to rural towns.
Although police statistics capture reported offences, the Governance, Public Safety and Justice Survey (GPSJS) provides insight into both reported and unreported crime, giving a fuller picture of overall safety.
According to the report, in 2024/25, there were about 1.5 million incidents of housebreaking, and nearly 60,000 households reported a murder.
Many assaults and robberies involve dangerous weapons such as guns, knives, pangas, and metal bars.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke noted that in the past five years, about 2.6 million households have experienced a housebreaking or burglary.
Crime has become a defining feature of daily life, cutting across income levels and affecting almost every community.
South Africans are also changing their behaviour in response. More people are taking steps to protect themselves against crime, with 43.3% reporting they did so in 2024/25 compared to 39.9% the year before.
This includes installing alarms, fences, or security cameras, and relying on private armed response.
The report also showed that, during the day, 81% of people said they felt safe walking in their neighbourhoods in 2024/25, slightly up from 80.4% the year before.
However, only 36.1% felt safe after dark, which is barely an improvement from 34.9% previously.
“The rise in private security is simple; people want to feel safe. Therefore, they need to be protected, and they are not getting that protection from the police,” explained Jackson Simon from the Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa.
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