For the full articles, please click here: Alwinco Newsletter, July 25
We recently conducted an independent security risk assessment for a hospital in Pietermaritzburg, uncovering vulnerabilities often missed by conventional assessments. Our independent approach allowed us to recommend practical measures to improve the safety of patients, staff, and the facility.
If you would like to learn more about our assessments or have specific topics you would like us to address, please email your suggestions to andre@alwinco.co.za. We will create and publish articles tailored to your interests on our website.
The Truth About Crime We Can’t Ignore Anymore
# Independent security risk consultant
South Africa is no longer facing an isolated crime problem. It is being consumed by a deep and expanding network of organized crime that stretches from government to grassroots. This is not limited to street-level offenses like hijackings or robberies; it involves powerful syndicates infiltrating our police, judiciary, hospitals, schools, tenders, and even political leadership. Confidential briefings have revealed collusion between politicians, contractors, and criminals that resulted in the deliberate shutdown of a task team investigating political assassinations.
Crime is embedded in everyday structures. It walks through school corridors, hides in hospitals, and sits at boardroom tables. It is protected by the very people tasked with stopping it. When a crime occurs, it is already too late. No emergency service or policy can undo loss. The responsibility to act lies with each of us.
Security must be seen as a necessity, not an afterthought.
Waiting for help is no longer an option. We must shift our thinking, take initiative, and take steps to secure our families, businesses, and homes.
According to the 2023 Global Organized Crime Index, South Africa scored 7.18 out of 10, ranking 7th globally and 3rd in Africa, with only a few countries like Myanmar and Mexico ahead. This is a sharp increase from the 2021 score of 6.63, reflecting a growing crisis. The index notes that South Africa is a major outlier in the region due to its entrenched and state-linked criminal networks.
South Africa is bleeding, but through awareness, decisive action, and a shift in mindset, we still have the chance to stop the spread of this rot.
The Real Story Behind Enterprise Security in South Africa
Enterprise security in South Africa, especially in environments like shopping malls, is far more complex than many assume. Malls attract crowds, but they also attract crime. Yet, despite the scale of these spaces and the risks involved, most enterprises fail to approach security in a unified, strategic way.
There are five key role players in mall security: the landlords, the management company, the shop owners, the public, and the security company. The problem is these five groups often operate in silos, each with a different understanding of who is responsible for what. This misunderstanding leads to confusion, blame-shifting, and ultimately, security gaps that criminals are quick to exploit.
Enterprise spaces contain multiple risk zones such as entrances, parking areas, delivery zones, and stores, all of which require tailored security strategies. But few enterprises have ever conducted a proper independent security risk assessment. In over two decades, the only assessments seen have been the ones conducted independently by the author.
Security must be approached like a puzzle.
Every shop owner should do a risk assessment tailored to their space and link it to the broader mall assessment. This ensures a cohesive security strategy. Independent professionals, not people tied to the mall or the contracted security company, must conduct these assessments.
Another major weakness is the control room. Many malls operate with insufficient staff watching too many cameras, which turns a proactive system into a passive one. Additionally, most enterprises do not even employ their own security manager. Instead, a representative from the security company fills this role, which is a clear conflict of interest. Security oversight must be independent and neutral to be effective. Every operational aspect of a mall, such as deliveries, opening and closing procedures, and staff routines, must follow strict, agreed-upon protocols. When these procedures are missing or ignored, the consequences are real. Criminals followed a staff member into a store because the store lacked basic safety measures.
Security has become an avoided subject in many malls, treated like a taboo topic.
This silence only deepens the problem. Malls must acknowledge that, by their nature, they attract crime. The issue is not about fault; it is about responsibility.
Real change only happens when all five stakeholder groups speak the same security language, built on a foundation of proper assessments, ongoing planning, and shared accountability. Landlords protect their investments, shop owners protect their customers, and security companies gain direction when assessments guide their strategy.
Security in enterprises does not come from reacting to crime. It comes from understanding how crime sees opportunity and working together to close those gaps.
The Hidden Dangers: Why We Keep Missing Opportunities to Prevent Crime
In South Africa, crime affects nearly everyone, yet one of the most critical weaknesses in security is the failure to ensure vital information reaches the right people in time. An informer once revealed that despite knowing about an imminent crime, he chose not to report it due to distrust in both police and private security. This silence, repeated across the country, undermines crime prevention efforts.
A personal investigation into reporting systems near high-risk areas like universities uncovered a disturbing reality. Although laws require citizens to report crime, most organizations provide only generic contact points that lead nowhere. In one case, a warning letter handed to a security officer never reached the intended recipient, eliminating any chance to intervene.
Hotlines, often touted as solutions, frequently fail due to poor management, lack of independence, or untrained staff. Effective security risk assessments must include evaluating these communication systems; otherwise, a vital layer of defense is missing.
Two real incidents illustrate this failure:
In Johannesburg, people reported a delivery truck’s suspicious activity, but authorities dismissed it due to unclear communication channels. In Cape Town, residents repeatedly reported suspicious basement behavior, but officials ignored their messages after blocking or failing to forward them.
This breakdown is more than an inconvenience; it is a dangerous liability. Without trusted, dedicated systems for real-time crime reporting, businesses, schools, and estates remain vulnerable. Security today demands not only guards and cameras but smart, responsive communication networks built on trust.
To change this, South Africa needs a reliable informer network supported by trusted hotlines and independent, trained personnel. Security is not just about being visible but about listening and acting before crime strikes. Opportunities to prevent crime will persist until these systems function effectively.ly.
Articles written by Andre Mundell, Independent Security Risk Consultant At Alwinco.