New way to end illegal occupations

A local company has developed a new security and access control system that will make it doubly difficult for hijackers to gain access to buildings.

"Crime in South Africa has led to security solutions for residential and corporate environments – not as a choice any more, but an absolute necessity. Residents and corporates are willing to pay a premium to be safe and secure in their homes and offices," says Derrick Tereblanche of the Dex Group.

The good news, however, is that South Africa has the answers, locally developed and produced. "In fact, it would be irresponsible not to implement measures while they are available and cost-effective," says Tereblanche.

According to a financial magazine, criminals in Johannesburg's inner city have realised that it's lucrative to hijack entire buildings and take over the monthly rental stream, leaving landlords and tenants watching helplessly, as they build up a very nice portfolio of rental properties and a healthy flow of income.

Owners can't even get into the buildings, because the hijackers station their own security teams at the entrances. To compound their misery, owners are still held responsible for the municipal arrears. It seems that the best steps landlords can take to prevent their buildings from falling prey to urban hijackers, is to develop a good relationship with their tenants and to maintain physical control of their buildings.

Solutions are available for the security needs of apartments and residential buildings in the form of security and access control systems. In addition to effectively keeping criminals and unwelcome visitors from entering the premises or building, these systems are easy to use, providing residents with a convenient and user-friendly answer to their security needs.

The systems also offer effective and convenient management of visitors, while keeping exact records of the people entering and leaving the building. This improved access control enables the management of the premises to clamp down on vandalism and theft.

The DexID access control solutions use fingerprint technology to ensure that access is only granted to those registered on the system, and removes the need to carry and use keys. The DexID systems have been implemented to provide access control solutions for more than twenty buildings in Hillbrow, one of the most notoriously crime-riddled areas. This has resulted in more than 10 000 Hillbrow residents now enjoying a safer environment.

In addition, the DexID solutions have proven to be both cost effective and efficient as both a security system and an access control system for apartment buildings.

This solution has been installed in buildings owned by Ithemba, AFCO and Solarsh Properties, among others.