Owning a thermal monocular in South Africa is owning the night and discovering objects, people, and animals behind the curtain of darkness and determining whether it is friend or foe.

According to the IEP’s (Institute for Economics and Peace) latest Global Peace Index (GPI), published end of June 2022, South Africa ranks among the worst 25 countries in the world regarding safety and security.

Thermal Africa’s vision is to not only equip farmers, hunters, and security companies in South Africa, but also the general public, with the latest night vision and thermal technologies to prevent, curb and address the crime that is at an all-time high in the country.

Many plot owners in South Africa, some already senior citizens, benefit from thermal technology as they can determine exactly what causes the noises they hear outside.  Adventurers, mountaineers, and those on safari enjoying the outdoors can add thermal technology to extend their observation of nature long after dusk. Night birding outings or lions feasting in the night on zebras in the long grass will play in perfect vision while the stars are out. 

With unprecedented escalation of livestock theft, the implementation of sophisticated security measures has become essential for farmers not only to prevent stock theft or deter break-ins but also to prevent loss of lives and serious financial damage.

According to Willie Clack, national chairperson of the National Stock theft Prevention Forum (NSTPF) livestock theft is costing the South African agricultural economy about R1.4 billion annually.

Before advising farmers to invest in thermal technology we had to learn of the unique set of requirements needed before they could consider a system effective on farms.

The face of rural crime in South Africa has changed significantly as Organised Crime Syndicates have entered the stock theft scene. This complicates the crime tremendously and certainly begs for more sophisticated approaches in choosing security measures.

Although stock theft takes place during the day too, perpetrators operate mostly during the night and get away without being identified.

Farmers and hunters alike, expressed their enthusiasm for the sleek but robust camera designs, the array of user-friendly features like capturing- and downloading still images and video recording capabilities which they deemed ideal for effective surveillance and tracking. They acknowledged the huge strategic advantage of thermal technology over the criminal activities.

South Africa’s economy is suffering astronomical loss due to increasing cable theft and cost the country’s economy between R5 billion and R7 billion annually hence the huge need for the latest night vision and thermal technology necessary for patrols and search and rescue operations at night.

Illegal mining in all provinces of South Africa is being addressed by special integrated task force teams to combat and investigate the activities of illegal miners.  In order to effectively trace, locate and arrest the criminals, thermal and night vision technology are essential aids in the success of the teams.

Thermal cameras measure temperatures and therefore detect heat and alert users not only about criminal activity but also about veld fires, trespassing humans, invading animals and foreign objects at night. It ‘sees’ in low visibility environments like heavy fog, haze, dust clouds, low light, and even rainy conditions. Image quality of the thermal monocular cameras is brilliant, and their long detection range exceeds 1,750 meters.

TDR 31 August 2022