Kidnapping surge pushes bodyguard rates to R3,000 a day as demand for close protection climbs

A close protection officer in South Africa costs on average between R2,500 and R3,000 per day, The Citizen reported in April 2026, as kidnapping fears drive demand for personal protection.

SAPS crime statistics cited in the article recorded nearly 5,000 kidnapping cases nationwide in the latest October-December quarter, more than 2,500 of them in Gauteng. Kidnapping incidents have more than doubled over the past decade, with the sharpest spike in the last three years.

Demand is rising among businesspeople, high-net-worth individuals and people involved in tender competition or business disputes, with syndicates increasingly operating transnationally.

Institute for Security Studies analysis found aggravated robberies account for 66% of all kidnappings - 44% committed during hijackings and 22% during other robberies - while under 5% of reported kidnappings involve ransom, trafficking or extortion.

"If criminals can't get to you, they start watching and targeting your loved ones," a close protection officer with 11 years' experience told The Citizen, noting criminals shift to family members when principals are well protected.

Source: The Citizen, 19 April 2026 - citizen.co.za (analysis: issafrica.org)