SAPS taps business to rein in Winelands crime

Business stakeholders are joining forces with the South African Police Service in a coordinated crimefighting initiative in the Cape Winelands involving high-tech surveillance.

The move comes amid persistent high crime levels across the district, which are weighing on tourism and business prospects. However, a multi-stakeholder effort to combat crime is gathering momentum, culminating in a Cape Chamber-led safety and security dialogue last week at the Drakenstein Correctional Facility outside Paarl.

“The SAPS recognises that effective policing cannot be achieved by SAPS alone. Crime has become increasingly sophisticated and organised, requiring a coordinated approach involving government, the private sector, organised agriculture, Community Policing Forums, neighbourhood watches, private security companies and every responsible citizen,” SAPS Winelands District Brigadier Sandile Sonjani said in his opening address.

“The private sector has an increasingly important role to play in strengthening community safety. We encourage businesses to continue investing in security infrastructure while actively participating in local crime prevention initiatives,” Sonjani said.

Although the latest crime statistics showed a slight decline in some categories, the levels remain high, representing a threat to personal and economic wellbeing. Murders increased 0.5% to 591 between April 2025 and April 2026 compared to the corresponding period last year. Attempted murders decreased 0.8%, to 1,659 from 1,673 last year.

There were 2,928 registered robbery cases (compared with 2,927 last year) and a 4.1% increase in common assault. The most crime-affected areas are Worcester, Stellenbosch, Paarl East and Paarl, according to police station statistics.

“This is an untenable situation – as communities and businesses in this area, we need to find a way to curb crime,” Sonjani said.

He highlighted the vital role of CCTV camera networks in providing real-time monitoring and intelligence of use in combating crime. “When CCTV footage, security data and other intelligence are shared lawfully and responsibly with SAPS and authorised law enforcement partners, they become invaluable tools for identifying suspects, tracking criminal movements, supporting investigations and securing successful prosecutions,” Sonjani said.

The dialogue event featured input from several private security stakeholders, including African Drone Kings, which offered a drone demonstration outside the venue. There was also input from digital crimefighting platforms Tracker Connect and Buzzer, which have been successfully implemented elsewhere in the Metro.

Prosec Guards presented findings of the Kayamandi Safety Initiative, which made use of an anonymous WhatsApp group to map crime hotspots and improve policing. By mapping residents’ incoming messages, the team was able to identify a “gun corridor,” thereby making policing more effective. “No CPF here, no neighbourhood watch — so we built trust person by person,” the team said in its presentation. “Pastors. Spaza owners. Principals. Ward councillors. And it's working: reports more than doubled from April to June. In a community known for silence, that's the real headline.”