Directors desk
From the desk of the director.
Whether Level 3 offers you a bit more freedom or not, the truth is that South Africa is still on lockdown.
Millions around the country are still without work, still facing the shut doors of their business, many being restrained from seeing family and friends – and the worst of all – so many are succumbing to depression, desperation and facing the uncertainty whether they may be left destitute, or if they’ll survive. (I’m referring to survival of the economic pandemic, not the COVID-19 pandemic…)
Where does that leave us? The truth is, nobody really knows. There’s speculation, but nothing concrete to base our decisions on for the future.
One thing is sure. South Africa and life-as-we-know-it won’t be the same again. Ever.
But, as homeowners, tenants and business owners, in the midst of this uncertainty, we need to be prepared for what is to come. Because ultimately, our lives as we know it are at stake, and so is the future of our children.
When we were faced with the shocker of load-shedding – suddenly being left without power for 3-4 hours a day – we pulled through. We adjusted, and came out strong on the other side.
And now, we’re calling upon all South African’s to do the same.
The fact is that South Africans face this reality – that desperate times call for desperate measures. When you have hungry mouths to feed, as a Mother or Father, you’ll do whatever it takes to make ends meet. Unfortunately, due to the nature of South Africa’s unemployment rate, and the circumstances which many find themselves in, this often resorts to crime.
While some may just steal a bit of food to get by and to feed their children, many others may resort to much more serious crimes – house robberies, looting of businesses, and even armed attacks. What goes through the minds of these criminals is unclear – but what is clear, is that they’ve become desperate. They – literally – have nothing to lose.
While crime was rampant before the lockdown, I am afraid that it will only begin to increase in a much greater rate once the lockdown is lifted.
The question is, do you have the vital measures in place to ensure that you don’t become a target? Do you have control over your security? Can you see what is happening on your property at any given time?
The fact is, you can’t afford for criminals to strike before you take the time to assess the efficiency of the security measures you have in place.
You have to act before it’s too late.
It boils down to being in control of your security. This is the only way to make sure that you, your loved ones and your business is protected.
SO WHERE TO NEXT?
I foresee that we’ll be faced with a wave of crime and attacks – targeting both homes and businesses.
The impact of this on security companies will be tremendous. The truth of the matter is that we’re going to become much more reliant on CCTV than ever before – for both deterrence and detection, and well as for efficient response.
Companies which either have their own in-house CCTV operators, or those who use professional CCTV monitoring services, are going to have to raise their game in order to successful combat crime. This can be implemented through extensive training of their staff, from their CCTV operators right through to the response personnel.
The bottom line is that even though many companies and households are feeling the financial pinch, and looking to cut costs across any possible expenses, we need to be most careful in not cutting costs which will leave us vulnerable to the heightened crime which most certainly lies ahead.
While you may have to take a few expenses to the chin to ensure that your business remains protected, this will most certainly be easier to swallow than the impact which crime would pose on your cash flow.
If you need advice on how to secure your business, be sure to contact the industry experts who have foresight on where crime in South Africa is headed.
Best wishes,
Quintin Marais
Director | Plug & Play Solutions
