Feeling the pinch

September 2017 News & Events

This year has been a tough one for the security industry. Actually, so was last year, but this year the political shenanigans have really hit home to many companies. Economic ups and downs are simply part of the way things are and there is nothing us peasants can do about that. However, it is possible for a government to make an effort to limit the fallout or at least try to speed the process of the recession. Not the looters in South Africa, there’s still something to fiddle so why worry, the people at the top are not struggling so there’s no real reason to get concerned.

At the other end of the scale, however, things are tougher than ever. As if all-time record unemployment isn’t enough to be proud of, we can expect to see a bunch of companies in multiple industries letting people go in the near future. They will try to keep it quiet, but people talk. And families suffer.

All is not lost however. At least we still have a good comedy on TV, for those that watch the parliament channel. At a time when politicians should be trying to do something (I know they are politicians, so a better way to phrase it would be to say, “at a time when politicians should be making the effort to pretend to be doing something”), we have a parliament full of 10-year-olds calling each other names. No wonder the big global investors are running like cats from a bath.

Of course, the situation is a goldmine if you happen to be running a crime syndicate, but how many of us have our own crime family?

The Residential Estate Security Conference Hi-Tech Security Solutions held in August with Rob Anderson showed us how security managers are struggling to deal with the never-ending criminal onslaught. It’s a no-win situation for them. Opportunistic crime is increasing, but so is syndicate crime, which is well planned and funded. Sadly, apart from a few lucky ones, estate security is not generally well funded. I heard a few horror stories at the conference, of estates that opted to buy security on price, or who relied on a trustee who ‘had a contact’ and could get it done ‘real cheap’. They got what they paid for.

The Residential Estate Security Handbook is also out this month and in it we cover a host of security solutions for estates. One of the topics is TCO (total cost of ownership), which was also one of the presentations at the conference, and it was a revelation. If you are making decisions on the purchase price you’d better make sure you have another job lined up before the maintenance ‘doo’ hits the fan.

On a more positive note, there are some, far too few unfortunately, who say the economic tide is turning and business should start picking up in the new year. I generally take economic predictions with a pinch of salt, but let’s hope that in this instance they are correct.

Andrew Seldon

Editor



Credit(s)




Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page



Further reading:

Fire Ops SA Partners with Matrix
News & Events Fire & Safety Residential Estate (Industry)
Fire Ops SA, a South African private fire and rescue service, has announced its partnership with Matrix Vehicle Tracking to launch FireStop, providing Matrix and Beame clients with direct access to a dedicated professional private fire service.

Read more...
SABRIC Annual Crime Statistics 2024
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management Residential Estate (Industry)
SABRIC has released its Annual Crime Statistics for 2024, reflecting a significant decline in financial crime losses, but also warning of the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence (AI) in fraud schemes.

Read more...
Adding AI analytics to security monitoring
SEON South Africa News & Events Perimeter Security, Alarms & Intruder Detection Residential Estate (Industry) AI & Data Analytics
SEON has announced its latest integration with Refraime, an AI-powered video analytics platform designed to elevate CCTV surveillance through real-time object detection and intelligent alerting.

Read more...
Blue Security ranked best reaction team in KZN
News & Events Commercial (Industry)
Blue Security has been ranked the Best Reaction Team in KwaZulu-Natal following its outstanding performance at the SAIDSA Reaction Man Competition 2025, which took place on 25 September at the Ballito Defensive Sport Shooting Club.

Read more...
Sophos launches advisory services to deliver proactive cybersecurity resilience
Information Security News & Events
Sophos has launched a suite of penetration testing and application security services, designed to identify gaps in organisations’ security programs, which is informed by Sophos X-Ops Threat Intelligence and delivered by world-class experts.

Read more...
Why Securex matters more than ever
Securex South Africa News & Events Fire & Safety Facilities & Building Management
Visitors will observe the application of integrated security solutions, including AI-enhanced surveillance, cloud-based access control, cybersecurity tools, and perimeter protection within residential, commercial, logistics, and industrial environments

Read more...
SA’s private security industry receives multi-million USD investment
News & Events Security Services & Risk Management
South Africa's private security sector has attracted significant international attention, with the world’s largest tactical flashlight manufacturer, Nextorch, announcing a major investment in its local operations, Nextorch Africa.

Read more...
Kaspersky highlights biometric and signature risks
Information Security News & Events
AI has elevated phishing into a highly personalised threat. Large language models enable attackers to craft convincing emails, messages and websites that mimic legitimate sources, eliminating grammatical errors that once exposed scams.

Read more...
Keenfinity launches Radionix as new intrusion brand
Perimeter Security, Alarms & Intruder Detection News & Events
Keenfinity Group’s Intrusion & Access Business Unit has launched Radionix as its new brand for intrusion alarm systems, unlocking new potential and growth opportunities.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: Can it be October already?
Technews Publishing News & Events
Welcome to the final SMART Handbook of the year. In this issue, we focus on residential estate security, from the fence to the gate and beyond. We also review our Durban SMART Estate Security Conference, ...

Read more...










While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.




© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.