In South Africa, escalating crime has made it increasingly necessary for ordinary citizens to find ways for further protection. While the police have their hands full with petty crimes to violent crimes on a daily basis, more South Africans are finding different ways to protect themselves. The private security industry is one of the main ways through which individuals and companies are finding ways to protect themselves. More South Africans are finding comfort in hiring private security for their homes and business premises.
The private security industry is growing at a rapid rate. There are more than 450 000 registered employees working in the private security sector today. The South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) estimates that the number of private security officers has more than tripled than that of police officers since 1997.
Despite the large number of security personnel working in the country, wage levels are quite low. In comparison with salary rates for police officers, minimum wages in security are paltry. In fact, the average pay for private security officers is between R31 596 and R58 752 annually.
Guards are graded between A and E based on the type of duty they perform.
As of September 2016, the Department of Labour announced that security officers’ wages have been increased by 7.1%.
Minimum wages in security have increased to R4896 in Area 1 for Grade A security personnel. Area 1 includes provinces such as Gauteng, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria and Cape Town.
Grade B security personnel in Area 1 will now earn a minimum wage of R4387.
The increase is the second phase of a private deal struck in the private security industry in 2015. The deal will ensure that minimum wages in security increase over the course of three years.