To start a security company in South Africa, you register the company with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), make sure every director holds a personal PSIRA registration at Grade B or higher, and then register the business itself with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) on its ePSiRA online portal. PSIRA checks your documents, sends an inspector to your office, and only then issues a registration number. You may not render a security service to clients until that registration is approved. Last updated: October 2026.
This guide follows that order, with the documents PSIRA asks for, the 2026/27 fees and how long approval takes. For the costs of running the business once it is registered, such as sector wages, annual fees and insurance, see what to know before you start a private security company.
Step 1: Register the company with the CIPC
PSIRA registers businesses, not ideas, so the legal entity comes first. Most security businesses register a private company (Pty) Ltd with the CIPC, although PSIRA also accepts close corporations, co-operatives, partnerships and trusts. Your CIPC records must show the enterprise status as “in business”, and every director, member or partner listed there must also appear on your PSIRA application.
Once the company exists, register it with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) for income tax, and for PAYE and UIF as soon as you employ staff. You will also need a physical office before you apply to PSIRA. If you have not registered a company before, our guide to registering a small business in South Africa walks through the CIPC side.
Step 2: Register the directors with PSIRA
PSIRA requires every director, member, partner, trustee and manager of a security business to be registered as a security service provider at Grade B or higher. In practice that means the owners usually register as individuals before the business applies.
To register as an individual security service provider, PSIRA says you must:
- be 18 years of age or older;
- be a permanent resident of South Africa;
- not have committed any of the scheduled criminal offences listed in the Private Security Industry Regulation Act;
- have completed training at a PSIRA-accredited training centre;
- not be a member of any official military, security police or intelligence force (former members need a clearance certificate); and
- pay the registration fee.
Security grades run from E, the entry level, to A, the highest. Training for Grades E to C is governed by PSIRA Board Notice 93 of 1995, and for Grades B and A by Board Notice 102 of 1995. Training is done at accredited training providers, which you can confirm on PSIRA’s digital services portal before you pay for a course.
Step 3: Register the business on ePSiRA
Business applications are made online on the ePSiRA portal. You first choose between two types of registration:
- Security business: you will provide security services to other people or businesses for payment. This is the usual choice for a new security company.
- In-house security business: you will employ security officers only to protect your own people or property, such as a factory, and will not contract them out.
Documents PSIRA asks for
PSIRA’s 2025 guide to registering a security business lists the documents to upload, in PDF format and no larger than 3 MB each:
- CIPC (or partnership, trust or co-operative) registration documents.
- Proof that the business is tax compliant from SARS. PSIRA’s guide asks for a screen print from the SARS website showing the business is compliant, and says it cannot use a SARS PIN.
- A lease agreement, or proof of ownership such as a municipal account, for the office. The address must match the address on your application. If you sub-lease, you also need the main tenant’s lease showing that sub-letting is allowed.
- A business plan for the first year.
- PSIRA’s specimen resolution, printed on your company letterhead.
- A second resolution on your letterhead, stating that the business will start rendering a security service within 12 months of registration.
- A photo or sketch of the uniform, insignia and logo you will use. Shades of blue and camouflage are not accepted unless an exemption applies.
- The PSiRA 24a form confirming your business infrastructure.
- A suretyship, signed by all directors and two witnesses, with every page initialled.
- Proof of a landline or mobile number registered in the name of the business or one of its directors.
PSIRA notes that most applications are provisionally rejected because of mistakes in the suretyship form, so check it carefully before you upload it.
The office inspection
PSIRA registers a business at a fixed, immovable office. Once your documents are approved, an inspector from PSIRA’s law enforcement division visits the premises to confirm that they match your application and that the infrastructure meets the legal requirements. This is also why PSIRA asks for proof of the address and a phone number in the business’s own name.
What it costs to register with PSIRA in 2026/27
PSIRA reviews its administration fees every year, and the current fees took effect on 1 April 2026. These are the fees a new security business will meet most often, taken from PSIRA’s 2026/27 fee schedule:
| Fee | 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Business registration fee | R9,100 |
| Manual of Information (compulsory with a new registration) | R300 |
| Infrastructure assessment fee (new business) | R2,300 |
| Individual registration fee (each director or officer) | R310 |
| Business certificate renewal fee | R440 |
| Letter of good standing | R50 |
| Firearm licence fee (business) | R90 |
Two things are easy to miss. The business registration fee is not refundable, so only pay it when you are ready to finish the application. And once you are registered, PSIRA bills annual fees for the rest of its financial year, which ends in March, pro rata from the month you register. Annual fees rise every 1 April. Budget for training, uniforms, equipment and CIPC and SARS costs on top of these PSIRA fees.
How long PSIRA registration takes
PSIRA’s guide sets out four review stages and the time each one usually takes, assuming your documents are correct the first time:
| Stage | What happens | Usual time |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | A consultant checks your documents and runs background checks | About 2 working days |
| Level 2 | A team leader confirms that all validations have been met | About 2 working days |
| Infrastructure assessment | An inspector visits your premises | One to three weeks, depending on your location |
| Level 3 | A manager signs off the registration | About 2 working days |
If anything is wrong or missing, the consultant provisionally rejects the application and leaves comments on your profile. You fix the error, save it and the application goes back for review, so every mistake adds time. Once approved, you receive a PSIRA registration number and can download the certificate from your profile. The time it takes to complete director training and gather the documents comes before all of this, so plan for it separately.
Before you take on your first contract
- Register every officer. Every security officer you deploy must hold a current PSIRA registration at the grade the post requires.
- Pay sector wages. Minimum wages and benefit-fund contributions for security officers are set for the whole sector, so price every contract on those costs. Our guide to the running costs of a private security company explains how.
- Arm officers only when licensed. Armed services need competency certificates and licences under the Firearms Control Act. The SAPS firearms licensing guidance sets out the process.
- Keep your tax status current. Clients, and government tenders in particular, ask for proof of tax compliance. SARS explains how its Tax Compliance Status system works.
- Plan your funding. Registration, training and the first payroll all come before the first invoice is paid. Compare funding options for small businesses before you sign a contract that needs officers on site from day one.
A common way to start is with unarmed guarding and access control for residential complexes, retail and offices, and add armed response or specialised services later. Starting this way keeps the start-up costs and the regulatory load lower while the business builds a track record. Our look at how established security firms in South Africa grew shows where that can lead.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a security company in South Africa?
PSIRA’s own fees for a new business in 2026/27 come to at least R11,700 (R9,100 registration, R2,300 infrastructure assessment and R300 for the Manual of Information), plus R310 for each director’s individual registration and the pro-rata annual fee once you are registered. Training, uniforms, the office lease and equipment come on top of that.
How long does it take to register a security company with PSIRA?
Once a complete application is submitted, PSIRA’s three review levels take about two working days each and the office inspection one to three weeks, so roughly two to four weeks if nothing is rejected. Director training and document preparation come before that.
Can I run a security company from home?
PSIRA registers a business at an immovable office, which is inspected before registration, and the address must match your lease or proof of ownership. Ask PSIRA before you apply whether your premises will meet the infrastructure requirements.
What grade do I need to own a security company?
Every director, member, partner, trustee and manager must be registered with PSIRA at Grade B or higher.
Do I need a firearm licence to start a security company?
Only if your officers will be armed. Unarmed guarding and access control do not need firearms, but armed services need competency certificates and licences under the Firearms Control Act, and PSIRA charges a separate firearm licence fee.
Is the PSIRA registration fee refundable?
No. PSIRA says the business registration fee is not refundable, so finish preparing your documents before you pay it.
