For years, the gold standard for South African close protection officers (CPOs) was a high-risk contract in the war-torn streets of Baghdad or Kabul. But as the domestic security landscape shifts, the tide has turned. Highly trained bodyguards no longer have to go to places like Iraq to earn big money; instead, they are finding their most lucrative—and increasingly dangerous—work right here at home.
The demand in South Africa for bodyguards, especially for older, more experienced men, has increased enormously compared with 2014. This surge is driven by a toxic cocktail of escalating kidnapping rates, ruthless business rivalries, and a growing class of "new money" entrepreneurs who view a security detail as the ultimate status accessory.
“The icing on the cake is that I can be at home with my wife and children. I can braai and eat what I want, when I want. It’s an absolute win,” says Jason*, who worked as a bodyguard in Iraq for the past 11 years before returning to South Africa for good this January.
According to Jason, the economic reality of international contracting has changed. Salaries in Iraq have dropped significantly as British companies began undercutting their US counterparts. “When the Americans held those tenders, they would easily pay $350 (about R5,700) per day per bodyguard. The British, however, came in very low and now pay $150 (R2,400) a day. They also don’t hesitate to replace you with cheap labour from poorer countries such as Kenya,” he explains. In contrast, a top-tier CPO in South Africa can command between R2,500 and R3,000 per day. “It’s simply not worth it over there anymore,” Jason says.
Jason, who served as a policeman for 16 years before moving into the private sector, notes that the client base has expanded far beyond the traditional political elite. “There are an awful lot of entrepreneurs and businessmen like mining magnates. The greater their wealth and the higher they climb in the business world, the more essential their protection becomes.”
This necessity is often born from the cut-throat nature of the South African business environment. “There are many cases where men who are in competition with one another will target each other,” Jason reveals. “Similarly, people try to intimidate or threaten someone into awarding tenders to their companies. It’s particularly in this area that the threat to the man or his loved ones’ lives increases.”
The most terrifying driver of this industry, however, is the explosion in kidnappings. Recent crime statistics highlight a disturbing rise, with Gauteng and the Western Cape becoming hotspots for ransom-driven abductions. “If criminals can’t get to you, they start watching and targeting your loved ones,” Jason warns. It is a reality that Barend*, a business owner in the security industry, knows all too well. “The one aspect that has changed a great deal is the kidnappings. But beyond that, we actually just live in a Third World country. The Madlanga commission has now shown that to all of us,” Barend says. “Kidnappings really are a problem, and if you have a lot of money, you’d rather protect your loved ones.”
In this high-stakes environment, the role of a CPO has evolved. According to Jason, the most effective bodyguard is often the one you don't notice. “He should, for example, be able to read people’s body language in a restaurant. You need to be able to analyse a situation and know how to act. Much of our work is being able to anticipate that something is going to happen, and then we have to find a way to prevent it or avoid it altogether.”
Jason describes hiring a bodyguard as akin to paying an insurance premium. “The client gets that peace of mind. He knows he’s in capable hands and can then focus on what really matters, like his work, without any worry about his safety. He trusts me with his wife and children’s lives, or even with his R8 million car.”
Yet, there is a darker, more performative side to the industry. As wealth grows, so does the desire to flaunt it. The new generation of the super-rich often live flashy lives, and for some, a security detail is less about safety and more about showmanship. “Some guys like MySol drive around in a convoy with numerous cars. Naturally, he wants people to see all his fancy cars, but along with that, the threat to his life or safety increases,” Jason notes.
In these instances, the line between professional protection and "ego-guarding" becomes blurred. Jason says some businesspeople don’t really need bodyguards but hire them as a status symbol. “Then the guy walks around town with a bunch of bouncers around him. It’s really just to try to make an impression, and they want someone to open doors for them.”
This trend has led to a rise in unregulated security practices. While the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) strictly regulates CPOs through legislation, some clients ignore the rules. “Some guys pay no attention to that and just fetch the biggest blokes from the nearest gym,” Jason says, highlighting the danger of using untrained "bouncers" in situations that require tactical expertise.
As South Africa continues to grapple with its violent crime rates, the private security industry shows no signs of slowing down. With over 580,000 active security guards—more than the combined strength of the police and the army—the country has effectively privatised its safety. For the wealthy elite, the "invisible shield" of a close protection officer is no longer a luxury; it is the price of doing business in a country where the threat of a kidnapping or a business hit is always just one braai away.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
