South Africa’s big push to use drones for security and border control

Pretoria-based company Milkor wants to introduce the largest drone ever produced in Africa – the Milkor 380.
As reported by City Press, the company is currently testing the Milkor 380 with the SA Air Force (SAAF) in Cape Town.
According to Daniël du Plessis, manager of business development at Milkor, the drone is intended to be used by the Defence industry and can be used for observation, reconnaissance and attacks.
Du Plessis added that the drone could also be used for border control, conversation efforts, and the fight against poaching.
The drone will cost millions to produce, but governments on several continents have already shown interest in the drone, according to du Plessis. Milkor aims to have five drones ready by the end of the year.
Specs of the Milkor 380 are listed below:
Spec | Details |
---|---|
Length | 9m |
Maximum range | 2 000km |
Maximum flight altitude | 30 000 feet |
Operating altitude: 23 000 feet | 23 000 feet |
Maximum flight time | 35 hours non-stop |
Maximum load-carrying capacity | 210kg |
Maximum speed | 250km/h |
Operating speed | 110km/h to 150km/h |
Use of drones in South Africa
There has been a large push in drone use across South Africa, with issues regarding safety being a key reason for the adoption of the tech.
Last November, the Gauteng Treasury said that it would allocate millions of rands to fight against crime – this included the procurement of ten drones.
Earlier this year, the City of Cape Town said that it was investing millions in crime-fighting tech, which included dashcams, gunshot location tech, and drones.
The national South African Police Service (SAPS) is also adopting drone tech.
Responding in a June 2022 written parliamentary Q&A, Police Minister Bheki Cele said that the SAPS were looking to purchase 166 drones in three phases.
Private security companies have already been using drones for anti-crime initiatives for several years, mainly in up-market complexes and estates, as it is challenging to track criminals on the ground.
“We believe drones and the deployment of a mobile drone team, not only act as a highly effective visible deterrent to criminals, but also assist to immediately track down and locate criminal elements,” said Charnel Hattingh, head of marketing and communications at Fidelity Services Group.
Border Control
Milkor’s du Plessis said that the Milkor 380 could assist in border control, which could help the South African government in its efforts to tackle the matter.
The government established the Border Management Authority (BMA) last year, which is intended to fight illicit and unauthorised movements at the nation’s borders.
The BMA – which reports to the Minister of Home Affairs – has its own guards to control and patrol borders.
Home Affairs minister Aaron Motsoaledi said that the commissioner of the BMA has the same authority as the commissioner of police, but will exclusively focus on the country’s borders.
Read: Government draws a hard line on drone use in South Africa