Licence plate scanning camera explosion in South Africa

Licence-plate recognition (LPR) cameras are growing in popularity in South Africa due to their capability to identify and pinpoint vehicles used in criminal activities.

The technology has been used for many years at various security checkpoints, including at entrances to estates, office parks, and parking lots.

In the case of the OR Tambo International Airport, which deployed an LPR system integrated with a ticket and dual gripper system at the entrances and exits to its parkade, the technology proved its value long ago.

Five years after the system was implemented in 2005, not a single car had been stolen from the airport’s parking lot.

However, LPR systems have historically primarily operated in isolation in concentrated areas.

That means a vehicle detected in a crime in one area would not be flagged by a system operated by another security company when it drives through their region.

The latest partnerships between major security providers see these systems integrated with each other to enable knowledge-sharing and collaboration over great distances.

In South Africa’s most populous province — Gauteng — LPR cameras are becoming an increasingly common sight on public streets — primarily through deployments by Vumacam.

The company operates a vast network of cameras — primarily in Gauteng — supported by Vuma’s vast fibre network.

Vumacam recently told MyBroadband it had 2,931 poles fitted with 5,399 live cameras, including LPR cameras and overview cameras.

That is a substantial increase from the 3,000 cameras it had installed by late 2020.

Vumatel’s cameras boast advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities that enable them to detect suspicious incidents and present them to control rooms.

Prior to detection, control room operators are unable to view feeds, enhancing the general public’s privacy and ensuring the cameras cannot be abused for malicious surveillance.

In just the first half of 2024, the system generated 14,255 alerts that required responses from ground teams.

Of these, 783 interceptions occurred, resulting in 370 suspects being detained and 335 vehicles impounded.

Vumatel has partnered with several local authorities — including the City of Johannesburg and Gauteng Provincial Government — to combat crime as part of the SafeCity initiative.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi touring the Vumacam control room earlier this year.

Vumacam told MyBroadband the collaboration has resulted in the detaining of vehicle thieves, armed robbers, fraudsters, home invaders, and hijackers.

In addition to its own cameras, it has access to 5,000 partner cameras in other provinces.

“In some incidents, vehicles involved in crimes outside of Gauteng have been detected and intercepted within Gauteng due to our cameras and partner networks,” said Vumacam.

“The network has also been extremely powerful in ensuring that suspects and vehicles involved in crimes in one area are being detected when moving through new locations.”

“In one recent incident, a vehicle involved in a theft was intercepted in Hatfield for a crime committed in Benoni.”

While Vumacam was initially only available in Johannesburg, it announced an expansion to Pretoria in mid-2023.

Around a year later, those cameras can be found in the following areas:

• Atteridgeville
• Bronkhorstspruit
• Brooklyn
• Capital Park
• Centurion
• Club View
• Danville
• Eersterust
• Hatfield
• Hennopspark
• Lindo Park
• Lynnwood
• Menlo Park
• Muckleneuk
• Nieuw-Muckleneuk
• Pretoria University and Schools
• Prinshof
• Rooihuiskraal
• Sunnyside
• Zwartkop

The next areas being targeted for rollout in Pretoria include Arcadia, Sunnyside, Equestria, Die Wilgers, and El Ridge.

Vumacam also plans to expand to a number of cities and towns outside of Gauteng. One such rollout has already gone live in Saldanha Bay in the Western Cape.

Many of the City of Cape Town’s affluent neighbourhoods already have LPR cameras, while the technology has also been rolled out at the entrances to certain townships.

There are also plans to repurpose e-toll gantries in Gauteng for fighting crime and potential average speed over distance measurement.

The cameras on these gantries already support LPR but it is unclear whether they will be interoperable with other systems.

MyBroadband asked Vumacam whether it had been approached or was interested in taking over these cameras to add to its network in Gauteng.

The company would not confirm either possibility but said it was in constant discussions with the province to enhance safety and security through technology.

“We are working closely with the province to see how we can use existing and new infrastructure to ensure maximum impact,” Vumacam said.