How much it costs to bullet-proof your car in South Africa in 2024
As crime rates continue to climb in South Africa, an increasing number of companies are offering bullet-resistant armour packages for everyday cars for up to approximately R1.2 million.
SVI Engineering provides an innovative configurator on its website that allows users to accurately estimate the cost of installing various grades of armour on their preferred car.
SVI provides a wide range of armoured packages suitable for various types of vehicles, including single and double-cab bakkies, medium and large SUVs, sedans, and minibuses.
Their prices range from R588,000 to just over R1.2 million, depending on the type of vehicle and the level of armour required.
If you opt for the top-of-the-line B6 armoured Lexus LX 600 VIP, then you can expect to pay as much as R4.2 million, taking into account the actual cost of the car and the level of armour.
South Africa has seen a significant rise in hijacking incidents since before the pandemic, and the situation has only worsened over the past year.
Police Minister Bheki Cele presented the latest crime statistics on Friday, 16 February 2024, and they painted a bleak picture of safety and security in the country.
Violent crime has increased, with 84 people being murdered per day during the third quarter of 2023/24.
The country has also witnessed an increase in crime levels across the board.
During the year 2019, there were 17,777 carjackings reported in South Africa, which means around 49 vehicles were hijacked every day. However, by the end of 2022, this number had risen to 23,025 carjackings, which is a 30% increase and averages out to 63 cars stolen per day.
Unfortunately, as of December 2023, instances of carjacking have gone up by 6.5% year-on-year, indicating a lack of action against this crime.
It’s becoming increasingly common for factories to offer armouring packages for sale each year due to the high demand for safety-focused products from local customers.
This comes as no surprise when you consider South Africa’s crime statistics – especially car-focused crimes like hijackings.
Types of armour
According to SVI’s pricing configurator, two types of armour are available to the everyday motorist – B4 and B6 armour.
These options come in both discreet and non-discreet styles, with the latter being cheaper as it does not try to hide the armour.
B4 offers protection against handguns up to and including the .44 Magnum, made possible through lightweight kevlar sheets that are cut and bonded to the sheet metal areas, multi-layer armoured glass, and targeted protection for parts such as the engine vitals and firewall, said SVI.
In contrast, B6 brings resistance against full-metal-jacket with lead core rounds from assault rifles such as the AK47, R5, and R1.
This installation comprises even thicker glass panes, steel plates in the body panels, and suspension upgrades to accommodate the additional mass.
Pricing
The tables below show the prices for SVI’s armouring solutions for its various car segments, according to their configurator.
The prices are for B4 and B6 discreet armouring packages, as non-discreet options are customarily only taken for security and commercial uses.
The prices listed below exclude the cost of the vehicle itself.
Sedan
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R690,000 |
| Roof armour | From R31,000 |
| Floor armour | From R40,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R778,000 |
Single-Cab bakkie
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R370,000 – R580,000 |
| Roof armour | From R24,000 – R40,000 |
| Floor armour | From R30,000 – R32,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| Steel canopy | From R75,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R588,000 – R812,000 |
Minibus
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R860,000 |
| Roof armour | From R50,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R964,000 |
Double-Cab bakkie
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R500,000 – R760,000 |
| Roof armour | From R31,000 – R60,000 |
| Floor armour | From R40,000 – R50,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R658,000 – R957,000 |
Medium SUV
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R630,000 – R810,000 |
| Roof armour | From R37,000 – R60,000 |
| Floor armour | From R44,000 – R70,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R798,000 – R1,027,000 |
Large SUV
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R670,000 – R940,000 |
| Roof armour | From R44,000 – R85,000 |
| Floor armour | From R50,000 – R95,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R851,000 – R1,207,000 |
Read: Price hikes for gun ownership in South Africa – this is what it costs
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