TenEight Blog

Practical guides for South Africa's security industry: PSIRA grades and renewals, guard salaries, interview tips, and how employers hire PSIRA-registered officers.

• PSIRA fees explained: what officers and companies pay, how to pay safely, and what unpaid fees cost you — Every PSIRA fee an officer or security business pays, roughly what each costs in the 2026/27 schedule, how to pay safely through the portal, and what happens when fees go unpaid.
• The PSIRA code of conduct explained: the rules officers and companies are actually disciplined under — What the PSIRA code of conduct covers, the provisions that come up most in practice, how complaints, hearings and sanctions work, and what it means for officers and for employers.
• Lost PSIRA certificate? What it means, how to replace it, and what to carry meanwhile — What a lost PSIRA certificate does and does not mean, the steps to replace it, what to show employers while you wait, what to do if it was stolen with your ID, and how to never lose it again.
• How to check PSIRA registration: officers, companies, and what to do when the check fails — How to check PSIRA registration for an officer or a security company on the e-PSiRA portal, what to look at in the result, how officers check their own record, and what to do when the check fails.
• How to write a security guard CV that gets you called: layout, template and the mistakes to avoid — What a security guard CV must contain and in what order, a one-page template you can copy, the mistakes that get CVs binned, and how to keep it current for every post you apply for.
• Security guard background checks: the eight checks, in the order to run them — The security guard background checks employers should run, in order: PSIRA registration, identity, criminal record, qualifications, references, credit, licence and polygraph, with consent rules.
• Close protection officer: what the job is, what it pays and the realistic route in — What a close protection officer does, what CPOs earn in 2026, the grade, course, firearm, driving and experience requirements, the realities of the work, and the route most officers take in.
• The occurrence book: how to write entries and incident reports that stand up — What the occurrence book is for, the time-event-action-who shape of a good entry, how to write an incident report that stands up, the mistakes that come back to bite, and the digital OB.
• How to choose a security company in South Africa: the checks, the questions and the signs to walk away — How to choose a security company: the non-negotiable registration, provident fund and insurance checks, seven questions that separate good companies, warning signs, and how to compare quotes.
• Control room operator jobs: what the work is, what it pays and how to move from the gate to the console — What a security control room operator does, what control room operator jobs pay in 2026, the grade, course and computer skills needed, how to make the move, and where it leads.
• The private security industry in South Africa in 2026: size, jobs, pay and what the numbers mean — How big the private security industry in South Africa is in 2026: officers and companies registered with PSIRA, where the jobs are, what it pays, and what it means for you.
• Security guard turnover: what it costs, why officers leave and what actually keeps them — What security guard turnover costs per leaver, the reasons officers actually give for leaving, the seven changes that reduce it, and the four numbers to track by site and supervisor.
• Firearm competency certificate for security officers: steps, cost, validity and mistakes to avoid — How a security officer gets a firearm competency certificate: accredited training, the SAPS application and checks, cost, the five-year validity, and the mistakes that get applications refused.
• Cash in transit jobs in South Africa: what they pay, what you need and how officers get in — What cash in transit jobs involve, what CIT crews earn in 2026, the grade, firearm, licence and record requirements, the realities of the work, and the path most officers take to get in.
• The Private Security Sector Provident Fund explained: contributions, claims and what to check — How the Private Security Sector Provident Fund works: who must belong, how contributions are split, what officers should check on their statement, job changes, claims and employer duties.
• PSIRA pre-registration on e-PSiRA: the step you must do before Grade E training — What PSIRA pre-registration is, why it was introduced in January 2026, the step-by-step process on the e-PSiRA portal, the fee, timelines, and fixes for the common portal errors.
• Armed response vs static guarding: pay, training, risk and which career pays better — Armed response vs static guarding compared: what each job is, what each pays in 2026, the training and certificates needed, the risk, and how to move from a post into a vehicle.
• Private security minimum wage 2026: the rates by grade and area, and what sits on top — The 2026 private security minimum wage for every PSIRA grade and wage area, the overtime, night and Sunday rates that sit on top, what changed, and how to check a payslip.
• Security guard shifts, hours and overtime: the rules under Sectoral Determination 6 — The rules on security guard shifts in South Africa: ordinary hours, the 12-hour shift, rest periods, overtime, night allowance, Sundays and public holidays, leave, and a lawful roster checklist.
• Security guard onboarding checklist: from signed offer to the end of the first month — A complete security guard onboarding checklist for South African employers: the compliance file, day-one induction, site induction with a buddy shift, and first-month checks.