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The private security industry in South Africa is an industry providing guarding, monitoring, armed reaction, escorting, investigating and other security-related services to private individuals and companies in the country. Over the years there has been tremendous growth in the private security industry, not only in South Africa, but also in the rest of the world.[1] The private security industry in South Africa is the largest in the world,[2] with over 10,380 registered companies and over 2.5 million registered security guards of which 556,000 active and a further 2 million reserves;[3] many times more than the available personnel of the South African Police Service and South African Army, combined[4] Studies have shown that South Africa had 2.57 private security personnel for every police employee.[5] This is attributed by some to the country's relatively high levels of crime to a lack of public funds from Parliament towards the South African Police Service (SAPS) or to an increasing trend in many countries towards government outsourcing of certain security functions.[6] Others have suggested the number of high-wealth individuals in South Africa in comparison with the rest of Africa has led to the growth of the industry.
- ^ "Recent Growth In The Private Security Industry | Building Security". www.buildingsecurity.com. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ "South Africa has world's largest private security industry; needs regulation – Mthethwa". DefenceWeb. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ "Security guards vs police officers in South Africa". BusinessTech. 13 May 2021.
- ^ "Bigger than the army: South Africa's private security forces". CNN. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ "Does SA have the largest private security industry in the world? - Africa Check". Africa Check. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- ^ "Global private security industry booms".