Criminal protection: illicit uses of South Africa’s private security industry

South Africa's private security industry has grown rapidly, and some companies now shelter the organised crime they should prevent.

13 OCT 2026  

As the South African Police Service and other state law-enforcement agencies face intense scrutiny over alleged high-level corruption, this report examines how criminal interests may also be infiltrating South Africa’s private security industry. While many private security companies are an important asset in tackling crime, some are used to exploit criminal opportunities, ranging from irregular procurement to the illicit use of firearms.


About the author

David Bruce is an independent researcher on policing and public security, and a consultant to the Institute for Security Studies

This report was funded by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The ISS is grateful for support from the members of the ISS Partnership Forum: the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the European Union, the Open Society Foundations and the governments of Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

CRIME HUB DATA

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