The ratio of private security officers to uniformed police officers is 2:1 in South Africa, according to a new report from the Institute of Security Studies (ISS). Private security officers are permitted to carry and use firearms under South African law.

The private security industry has grown exponentially worldwide over the last 30 years, and is growing at a rate of 13% per year in South Africa.

South Africa has made some efforts to regulate the industry. The Private Security Industry Regulation Act (2001) requires all private security companies (PSCs) and their personnel to be registered (with fingerprints), and can impose sanctions and penalities for misconduct. Unaccredited training establishments are reported to the South African Police Service and can face prosecution.

The South African model is being studied by the government of Kenya, which is also experiencing a boom in PSCs. However, there are problems in South Africa - the regulatory body has been unable to enforce sanctions on fly-by-night companies, for example, and a shortage of personnel means there are gaps in the database and few inspections.

Recognising that PSCs are a global phenomenon, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Swiss government organised a series of inter-government meetings on regulating PSCs. The Swiss Initiative has been seeking to clarify the position of PSCs under International Humanitarian Law (IHL).