The South African Police Service (SAPS) has launched an innovative public-private partnership that harnesses artificial intelligence and smartphone technology to stay ahead of increasingly tech-savvy criminals.
Two pilot projects are already showing promising results, with one using AI to enhance CCTV monitoring capabilities and another deploying smartphones to accelerate Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems across four provinces.
The initiatives were highlighted at a business-led workshop last week, organised by the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a “call to action” bringing together high-profile speakers from academia, government, and the private sector.
Smart technology delivering results
Western Cape Deputy Provincial Police Commissioner Major General Preston Voskuil revealed encouraging statistics from existing projects. Business Against Crime’s smartphone initiative, using 160 devices, helped recover 600 stolen vehicles last year alone.
“If you expand these figures, the potential is massive,” Voskuil told attendees during his address.
Insurance giant Santam has committed to supplying SAPS with 100 state-of-the-art smartphones as part of an initial phase to bolster the ANPR project. The devices will be distributed across Gauteng (30), Western Cape (30), KwaZulu-Natal (20), and Limpopo (20).
Dr Jerry Chetty, Santam’s Head of Business Integrity, confirmed the company’s expanding involvement with SAPS: “We have recorded notable successes related to the recovery of stolen vehicles through our AI-enhanced CCTV monitoring project, which is already operational in high-risk crime areas.”
Voskuil emphasised that public-private collaboration is essential given the resource-intensive nature of modern policing. SAPS is seeking partnerships not only in technology but also in managing its 45 000-strong fleet of police vehicles – an expense that consumes a significant portion of the service’s budget.
Major financial institutions are stepping forward with solutions. FNB indicated that digital technology currently used to combat financial crime could be adapted for broader law enforcement applications, while MTN outlined a vision for smart cities where digital technology serves multiple policing purposes.
“In my opinion, it’s not about whether the technology works or not, it is about the speed of execution,” said MTN Business Enterprise Solutions General Manager Sudipto Moitra. “It is the ‘how and who’, and the speed of execution.”
Fighting fire with fire
Private sector stakeholders acknowledged that criminal syndicates also benefit from advancing digital technology, but noted this creates opportunities to monitor criminals’ digital footprints. The key is ensuring law enforcement keeps pace with the shifting digital landscape.
Jo-Ann Johnston, Western Cape Head of Economic Development and Tourism, praised the initiative’s forward-thinking approach: “This takes us forward. It’s a major shift from saying how bad things are, to recognising we actually have opportunities, and how do we collaborate for maximum impact.”
The collaboration addresses a significant economic challenge. Hubert Paulse, chairperson of Business Against Crime Western Cape, cited the estimated R66-billion lost to crime annually in the Western Cape alone.
“If law enforcement lacks the tools to respond to crime and to deter crime, the private sector ends up paying the price,” Paulse explained. “Supporting smart policing is not charity, it is investment in a stable and functioning economy.”
Cape Chamber chief executive John Lawson advocated for a business model approach to economic impediments like crime, suggesting it could benefit broader society.
“We are saying that many of these gaps can be addressed by identifying and accelerating practical solutions. The people who are losing money due to issues such as crime can help finance the technology that helps them reduce that loss,” Lawson said.
Technology as force multiplier
Business Against Crime is spearheading the push for expanded public-private partnerships in law enforcement, positioning technology as a crucial force multiplier in the fight against crime.
The Cape Chamber’s SDN (Safety, Development, and Networking) event signals growing momentum for collaborative approaches to crime fighting, with participants expressing optimism about scaling successful pilot projects into province-wide and national initiatives.
As criminal methods become increasingly sophisticated, the partnership between SAPS and private sector innovators represents a crucial evolution in South Africa’s approach to law enforcement – one that leverages business expertise and cutting-edge technology to protect communities and economic interests alike.
