Why Home Security Before a Holiday Matters
Burglaries in South Africa are significantly more likely when a home is visibly unoccupied for an extended period. Signs of absence — no lights on at night, an overflowing post box, a vehicle always parked in the driveway suddenly gone — are noticed by observant criminals operating in most South African suburbs. The steps below address these signals and create genuine additional obstacles to entry.
Physical Security Checks
- Test every external door lock, including the garage door and any secondary entrance gates. Replace or repair anything that is stiff, worn, or borderline.
- Check all accessible ground-floor windows — ensure every latch is working and locked. Window burglar guards should be checked for any looseness or corrosion at the fixings.
- Ensure sliding doors have a floor bar or secondary lock in addition to the standard latch.
- Check the perimeter wall and electric fence — repair any obvious breach points or vegetation that has grown over the fence.
- Lock away ladders, wheelbarrows, tools, and any equipment that could assist someone climbing the perimeter or accessing the roof.
- Empty the post box and arrange for a trusted neighbour or family member to clear it during your absence.
Alarm and Monitoring
- Test your alarm system before departure — activate it and confirm that all zones trigger and that the armed response company receives the signal. A faulty alarm zone discovered after you have left is of no use.
- Ensure your armed response company has your holiday contact number and an updated secondary contact (neighbour or family member with a key) who can attend if the alarm triggers.
- If you have a CCTV system, confirm the cameras are recording to local storage or cloud and that you can access the footage remotely. Check that camera lenses are clean and unobstructed.
- Consider a dummy camera in a visible location as an additional deterrent if you do not have full CCTV coverage.
Lighting and Occupancy Signals
A dark, silent house every night is the clearest possible signal of absence. Use timers:
- Set plug-in timers on one or two interior lamps in main living areas to switch on and off at realistic times (6pm–11pm)
- Keep exterior security lights on motion sensor mode — a light that activates on approach is a deterrent regardless of whether anyone is home
- If you have smart home devices, schedule them to create realistic activity patterns
Valuables and Sensitive Items
- Remove valuables from obvious locations — jewellery from dressing table drawers, laptops from desks, cash from the kitchen. Place in a wall safe if you have one, or with a trusted family member.
- Do not leave spare car keys on a hook near the front door — this is one of the first places burglars check.
- Photograph high-value items (serial numbers included) and store the photos in cloud storage. This supports insurance claims significantly.
- Remove spare keys hidden outside the home (under doormats, in pots). If a burglar conducts a casual inspection before breaking in, these are found quickly.
Neighbours and Community
- Tell one trusted neighbour you are away and give them a contact number. Ask them to call your armed response if they see anything unusual.
- Post in your neighbourhood WhatsApp group that your house will be unoccupied — this activates informal community watch without broadcasting it publicly on social media.
- Do not post holiday photos or departure announcements on public social media until you are back. Announcing an empty home online is a significant risk.
Utilities
- Switch the geyser off at the DB board — it saves electricity and prevents any geyser leak from causing extended water damage in your absence.
- Turn off the garden irrigation if rain is expected, or set it to a minimal schedule to avoid obvious overwatering on an automatic timer.
- Consider shutting off the main water supply if you will be away for more than two weeks.