G4S AFRICA: People and Technology Work in Harmony to Boost Security  

In 2016, G4S Africa President, Mel Brooks, told Enterprise Africa that the company was well-underway with a transition from a manned-guarding operation to become a total security provider, implementing various technologies to complement human resources.

“I believe that the great work our employees does to ‘secure your world’ and their continuous efforts to ‘live’ our company values, strengthens our image and supports us in unremittingly providing expert services to our customers,” he said.

He was keen to impress that technology would never replace people, but empower them to work smarter and provide a new level of service for clients, unavailable from others in the industry.

“There is the potential for technology to not only support our customers but also our employees. We’re looking at remote supervision using tech cameras so that we can monitor our security officers, help them check-in and provide guidance remotely, particularly in remote areas. It’s an ongoing innovation programme that we have and our cash business is founded on the introduction of greater technology,” he told Enterprise Africa in 2018.

Now, in 2022, after a challenging period for all business, and in a time where technology has been called on like never before, the G4S appetite for tech-based solutions is strong, and the company is pushing new ideas that bolster its people and protect its clients.

In Africa, the company is one of the largest employers with some 120,000 people across 29 countries. As the leading global integrated security company specialising in the provision of security solutions, there is a lot to live up to. Particular focus surrounds cash solutions, but the company is also branching out to offer new services that suit its diverse and widespread footprint.

RISK360

In 2021, a new tech offering is starting to blossom within G4S security centres and giving people, especially in Africa, a new tool in the fight for security and protection.

RISK360 is an incident and case management software that allows customers to report, track and resolve security incidents in real time, while simultaneously managing their people, sites, assets and security team. The latest iteration in a string of software versions, this product is now helping G4S to stop crimes before they take place in Africa. Not reliant on AI, RISK360 uses powerful data analytics to support human intelligence rather than imitating or replacing it.

“RISK360 has given us the opportunity to bring market leading security technology to Africa. Clients see the value it adds to their business and its market position as the only truly integrated solution,” says Shaun De Koker, G4S National Manager for Projects in Africa. “It’s taken the customer relationship from that of a service provider to being a risk partner, and an influential part of a client’s operations. It moves our customers away from purchasing security as a commodity, and to start thinking of it as a combination of security solutions designed to manage risks and enhance value for our customers.

“RISK360 is transforming our service, not by replacing personnel with cameras or robots, but by helping our people to work in a more informed and effective way.

“The system works by creating a central repository for information gathered from sites, for example occurrence reports, photos, videos, tracking locations and sensor alerts, together with monitoring and response capability, and analyses all this data to give real-time management information and operational insights.

“It gives G4S and its clients one consolidated platform from which they can manage, investigate and analyse all their data, to stay one step ahead of the threats.”

Today, RISK360 has been implemented in 80% of the African countries G4S operates in. The company continues to receive interest and expects the software to be rolled out across the continent even further.

De Koker describes recent operations for a logistics client where RISK360 helped adjust strategy to secure delivery vehicles. “With one customer, the system was able to correlate the precise day and time of the week their delivery trucks were most likely to be attacked, and which routes they travelled on that were most susceptible, allowing changes and risk mitigation measures to be put in place that resulted in a significant drop in attacks.”

TECHNOLOGY IS THE ANSWER

Further examples of success come from Kenya where, at Bamburi Cement – the largest manufacturer of cement in East Africa -, the company is integrating technology to meet its mandate of balancing efficient operations while being steadfast in protection.

Adding electronic tracking devices to the armoury of a guard, carefully positioning CCTV cameras across the site, and adding electric fences and motion sensors is augmenting a manned guarding operation with fantastic results.

“Bamburi Cement had a challenge for G4S – to improve the level of security at its sites without impacting on the high intensity of its operations,” details Nicholas Mbithi, G4S Contract Manager. “How could we ensure 300 trucks a day were being loaded correctly without causing a backlog? And how could we eliminate the risks posed by criminal elements that were targeting the sector?

“The answer was technology,” he asserts “and its seamless integration with our manned guarding services and customer operations. 

“Prior to our partnership, truck inspection reports were filled in manually with pen and paper, which meant any discrepancies were not easy to resolve, and the data was open to manipulation. The order forms filled in by truck drivers were also pen and paper, which meant they were often misplaced, or the release time was deliberately altered so they could jump the queue.”

He adds that introducing technology-led solutions not only made the customer’s operations smoother, it also made them more transparent and traceable.

“Our role at Bamburi has moved beyond being a security provider to being a trusted advisor.”

PEOPLE BUSINESS

In Kenya, the importance of quality personnel has never been clearer. There is simply no place for a technology-only approach to protection and security, and the G4S expansion in the country is a clear indicator of how opportunities can be exploited when you have a trusted and reliable workforce in place. During the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for e-commerce solutions and effective distribution of products boomed. For decades, G4S Kenya has been offering secure courier services, and the company stepped up to deliver when the country needed it.

“Our customers wanted a secure and reliable delivery service, and who better to provide that than the world’s largest security company,” says Head of Sales for Secure Logistics in Kenya, Jackson Miano.

“We already had much of the infrastructure in place – a network of sites that now totals 145 across the country, a large fleet of over 400 vehicles and motorcycles, an unrivalled knowledge of Kenya’s towns and terrain, and the security know-how to give our customers peace of mind that their goods will be secure. 

“It’s our hardworking and skilled workforce that sets us apart, which in courier services alone now totals 1,200 people. Most impressively, 80% of them have worked for us for seven or more years, which is testament to the experience and know-how they bring to our business.”

Particularly strong in financial services, pharmaceuticals, education, and technology, G4S is now the largest courier company in Kenya. Able to deliver anything from a single letter to  large parcels, G4S Kenya collects and distributes around 20,000 shipments every day. Combined with the long history of security excellence in the country, customers can rest assured that their deliveries are protected. The company is even able to make use of a 30,000 m² storage facility for further convenience.

“The rapid rise of e-commerce has become big business in Kenya, and consumers expect an easy, fast, and convenient delivery experience. As a result, local and international businesses selling goods online are turning to G4S for our infrastructure, flexible solutions, and our track and trace system for shipments. We can provide a tailor-made platform for cash on delivery that gives our customer and the end consumer high confidence in the process,” says Miano.

CASH REMAINS KING

Continued focus on cash is important. G4S has made its name protecting cash assets for clients, and is known around Africa for its Cash in Transit offerings. In 2019, G4S delivered research that highlighted the significance of cash in Africa. The amount of cash in the world continues to grow, and the value of ATM withdrawals is increasing in all countries across the continent apart from Mozambique.

Paul van der Knaap, Global Director of Strategy and Business Development for G4S Cash Solutions commented on the magnitude of cash in Africa.

“Governments, regulators, financial institutions and fintechs in Africa have a great opportunity to look at both the successes and challenges faced in other parts of the world, learn from them and leapfrog the legacy issues to develop innovative, modern and efficient payment systems that work for everyone,” he said.

“Going forward it is expected that the mobile phone will continue to play an important role in the future of payments in Africa. It has the potential to bring the worlds of cash and electronic payments together, and through a variety of new creative payment solutions could prove to be instrumental in creating a more inclusive financial system.

“At the same time, with millions of people in Africa still having limited or no access to banks and other digital forms of payment, industry partners in the cash domain must have a primary focus on making the cash cycle as safe and efficient as possible, at all stages.”

G4S work in Africa is doing so much to drive positivity. Creating employment opportunities, embracing technology, protecting assets, allowing businesses to thrive, diversifying and growing, and always demonstrating that the continent can deliver fantastic results, comparable to international majors, is helping more and more to become interested and involved in this valuable industry.

In South Africa, the company is a leading line of defence against robbery; in Kenya, G4S is the country’s largest courier; in Ghana, the company protects vital economic assets; in South Sudan, a specialist G4S division continues to remove mines and other remnants of war. Whether it is traditional manned-guarding, a high-tech AI-infused approach, or a blend of both, G4S continues to push the boundaries and drive invention in security. In Africa, this is exactly why G4S is always leading the way.