Section 20 of the Private Security Industry Regulations Act stipulates that every person registering a private security business must be registered and trained as a security service provider.

You must also register your security business with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA).

Irrespective of what operational position you will be holding in the business, you and all your employees must still be trained and registered.

Every director, member or partner must have successfully completed training at an accredited institution and must have finished at least grades E to B.

To register your business, you must fill in the Sira2 application form, pay a R2280 registration fee and also a yearly R570 subscription fee.

The inspections authority will inspect your business to establish if it meets the infrastructural requirements and you will have to pay a R1710 assessment fee. Further inspections will cost R500.

You will be expected to produce the following documentation:

l An authenticated copy of your business certificate, either a CK1 or a CK2 for a close corporation;

l An authenticated copy of a CM1, CM2, CM27, CM29, CM31 and CM46, obtainable from the Registrar of Companies or from attorneys if you are registering a company;

l An authenticated copy of any partnership agreement;

l A suretyship form (Sira4) signed by a person taking full responsibility for the security business;

l A tax clearance certificate from the South African Revenue Services (Sars);

l An authenticated proof of VAT registration with Sars;

l An authenticated copy of your PAYE number from Sars;

l An authenticated copy of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (Coid) number from the Department of Labour.

You must also provide PSIRA with sufficient information to ascertain if your business has the infrastructure and capacity to conduct security. This information will include a business plan outlining the nature and scope of the business and the area where it will operate, services you intend to provide for at least one year and a resolution stating that you will be operational for the next year.

This information must be submitted on the letterhead of the business.

You will have to prove that you have an administrative office accessible to the PSIRA and to your clients. Your staff must be able to use it to render services.

Your office must have all the equipment that is required to provide a security service, not only vehicles and similar field equipment, but also business equipment such as a land line, a fax machine and a filing system.

You must show that you have enough registered security personnel to provide the service you offer. The security officers must have a trained and registered supervisor.

The inspectors will want to know if you have adequately skilled administration staff to conduct the business.

Another important requirement is that you have enough capital to pay your staff.

Employees must be issued uniforms. Licences and proof of lawful possession of firearms and other weapons must be provided if you offer an armed response service.

The authority must be paid R285 every month. An additional 80 cents a month is levied for every officer and a fee of R7,98 for every one of the registered employers.