GARDAWORLD SECURITY – AFRICA: Opportunities Outweigh Challenges for Growing GardaWorld Security

“We’ve had a busy year, things are going well,” smiles Oliver Westmacott, President and Chief Operating Officer of GardaWorld Security International.

GardaWorld   is a leading security and integrated services provider across the continent, with a service offering that includes manned guarding, canine security, facilities management, cash management, global travel risk management, and remote site medical and integrated technology services.

Speaking to Enterprise Africa in 2023, Westmacott – a seasoned industry leader – was ambitious and excited. The company has spent years building a strong brand after the international GardaWorld Security business acquired KK Security, to enter the sub-Saharan Africa market and imbue international standards to a sector that was growing aggressively. And now, finalisation of a rebrand to GardaWorld Security is almost complete, furthering his enthusiasm. 

In Kenya, one of the region’s largest markets, all KK Security yellow is being phased out, and in 2025, every touchpoint will reflect the GardaWorld Security livery and branding, which is known for world-class, industry-leading security and wider risk management solutions. 

“The Kenya rebrand is a definitive event for us,” says Westmacott who has been with the business for more than two decades. “Kenya is the last market that carries the KK brand. We have 9,000 employees in Kenya, so rebranding is a significant commitment. We recently completed the rebrand to GardaWorld Security in Uganda, which was well received by clients. There is an association of deep skill and capabilities with the GardaWorld Security brand that resonates in local markets across the world.” 

“There’s a lot more that GardaWorld Security can bring to the market and the brand exemplifies that wider capability,” Westmacott continues, adding that the widely respected and historic KK Security brand has a strong legacy in Kenya but no longer reflects the breadth of the expertise and the sophistication of GardaWorld Security.

GardaWorld Security brings together technology and human capability to create a holistic risk mitigation offering that is beyond what other providers can offer. The company is certified to multiple ISO standards and calls on experience from complex operating environments around the world to develop solutions for unique circumstances. 

“Kenya is an extremely competitive, mature, and commoditised guarding and security market,” Westmacott asserts. “We differentiate ourselves by the breadth of our offering, which goes beyond just guarding, and by the quality of our service, and the impact we have on safety and security for our clients. The rebrand is an opportunity to reinforce those values and that strategy, and to focus the business on our top priority: to provide the highest quality service to our clients at a good value price. 

“We’re now in the position to provide fully integrated services to our clients,” Westmacott continues. “These encompass integrated technology solutions, facilities management and remote site medical services, alongside traditional security solutions which collectively reduce operating risk. With our deep knowledge of the continent, we built this service offering to enable businesses and other organizations to operate confidently across Africa.” 

OPPORTUNITY GALORE

The dynamic and ever evolving landscape in East Africa means there is no shortage of growth opportunities, Westmacott says, despite the global economic headwinds which companies in many sectors are feeling. “By focusing on the strength of our value proposition and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities across a variety of sectors, we will continue to grow our business in East Africa and beyond,” Westmacott adds. 

According to the African Organised Crime Index, East Africa had the highest criminality score (5.88) in 2023 of the five African regions. With major infrastructure projects underway in the region, and with international companies looking to the area for growth, security remains high on the agenda. 

Oil, gas and mining remain key focus sectors, with GardaWorld Security very active along the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP) – the world’s longest heated crude pipeline, crossing Uganda and Tanzania for 1443km. This is a complex project requiring a variety of different risk management services, including fleet management, physical security, technology security solutions, medical services, and facilities management. At the same time, in the DRC, GardaWorld Security is soon to provide a fully integrated risk management solution for a global mining operation. “In this complex sector, there is a clear need for quality service delivered by highly qualified and accountable service providers, which is a significant opportunity for us,” Westmacott says. 

“We provide turnkey security solutions for the wider extractives industry around the world,” details Westmacott. “But in Africa, given the remoteness and lack of infrastructure in some places, we are providing a holistic approach with our partners, that includes everything from medical and facilities management to guarding security and tech.”

Diplomatic support is another key sector, and going forward the company will continue to bid for embassy contracts around the continent, with the goal of adding to its already strong portfolio which includes over 100 embassies across Africa.

“When you have a diversified product portfolio with a broad scope extending beyond traditional security, opportunities are easier to identify. Across Africa, GardaWorld Security has been aggressive in its search for new partnerships and clients, within many different verticals. It has been rewarding to offer integrated solutions at key infrastructure sites such as ports and embassies, as well as working alongside multinational organisations to upgrade their site and office specs,” says Westmacott. “Glueing everything together into an oversight function which makes clients a lot more efficient from a security perspective is something we do very well.”

GardaWorld Security has also expanded in West Africa where significant opportunities exist. This, Westmacott says, has been achieved with Nigeria now a “very successful business with an attractive growth profile.”

Although inflation and local currency fluctuations have become a greater consideration, Westmacott remains highly optimistic about the future in Africa, with operational excellence remaining a cornerstone of GardaWorld Security’s strategy.

“We want to deliver a uniformity in standards that are the best in the industry. It is not an easy thing to do – training and management is key, and systems are essential, from operating procedures to practical use of technology to help with the management of the workforce,” Westmacott says. “But the rewards for getting it right are huge.”

DEEP VALUE

In South Africa, carjacking and robbery on the road remain an ongoing risk for tourists and locals in certain areas. The number of security companies operating in the country has grown by 43% over the past decade and the number of people working in the industry is now more than more than 2.7 million. But even with this drastic increase, the homicide in the country is unacceptably high. Meanwhile, in some other African nations, crime on the highways remains a concern.

Experienced in risk mitigation, GardaWorld Security has continued to roll out its journey management service all over Africa, with big-name clients happy to place their people under the care of a well-qualified partner.

“Our journey management solutions have come on leaps and bounds,” says Westmacott. “Now we have a centralised operations centre in Cape Town with intuitive software that allows us to manage and monitor all of that activity, combining the best of technology with human expertise to drive the best outcomes for our clients.”

At its core, journey management is about connecting with a client directly as they leave the plane at the airport, ensuring an expeditious and smooth experience through the airport, before moving under the GardaWorld Security umbrella for the duration of their visit, all while providing visibility to their employer. This service is available in all of the African countries that GardaWorld Security operates in, through a vetted network of third parties, and is proven to alleviate the on-the-road risks and dangers that are associated with extensive in-country travel.

“Every market has its own unique risk profile, but fundamentally our journey management service benefits short-term executive or diplomatic visits where people are coming in and out, or large multinationals with a significant presence of personnel,” says Westmacott.

GardaWorld Security calls on a centralised, co-ordinated fleet management function with several hundred vehicles, handling all maintenance, drivers, first aid etc., while delivering a duty of care around personal safety for clients’ people.

“It is a big growth area for us with multinationals. We are seeing a lot of interest in this space, and we are perfectly positioned to meet this demand. As part of the wider GardaWorld corporation, we can scale initiatives fast and tap into global expertise,” he adds.

A key industry for journey management is the technology sector. In East Africa, this burgeoning market is set to grow meaningfully after attracting $5 billion of venture capital funding for tech start-ups in 2022 alone. A growing, skilled population, with incentives from government, makes for an appealing tech hub, and Kenya has long positioned itself as the region’s ecosystem centre. Specifically, large new data centres are being planned for East Africa, with Africa Data Centres announcing recently that it would build 15-20 MW of new capacity in Kenya while expanding into Rwanda and potentially Tanzania. This type of investment is not taken lightly, and protection is critical.

“We are also very active in security provision for technology infrastructure,” Westmacott confirms. “It is a significant area of growth and supports the continent’s increasing electrification and digital adoption. There’s a lot being built, from subsea fibre optics to data centres, in various places around Africa. That creates a big opportunity for us, and is something we’re looking at closely, because there are lots of practical challenges the sector must overcome. From a security standpoint, these are high-profile pieces of infrastructure and it’s essential that they have robust security solutions in place because they can be very vulnerable.

“They are now like banks,” he adds. “They must be highly secure. The world’s biggest companies have capacity in these data centres and the threats can be anything from terrorism to criminality. The operating standard of the security provision need to be very high, and the facilities carefully managed because they are very sensitive to climate. It’s a very controlled environment, and it’s this kind of work that lets us differentiate ourselves as an integrated, multi-service provider.”

While safeguarding technology sector employees and assets, GardaWorld Security is also leveraging the latest technology to enhance its own operations. Social media intelligence (SOCMINT) has long been an important tool for the security industry, but few have the scale and skill to utilise this modern initiative to its full potential. GardaWorld Security has a number of case studies in which it has taken what others might see as obscure web chatter and used it to build a foundation of knowledge about a particular area or around a particular threat. Again, using technology in this way helps the company to add real value and differentiate itself. 

“Social media analytics and predictive threat reporting continues to be very important for risk identification in a breadth of security and safety contexts,” Westmacott explains. From security against terrorism and criminality to effective management of public health, SOCMINT is an effective part of a wider toolkit, with AI-driven technology providing continuous advances in this field. 

“Information services is a significant area of growth, with events like the Mpox outbreak increasing clients’ interest in having data to track possible risks to their workforce and locations. There is a broad scope to add value for clients via personalized insights,” Westmacott highlights. 

‘VERY BULLISH’  

Economic growth for sub-Saharan Africa is expected to reach 4% for 2025, up from 3% in 2024. Home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world but held back by those characterised by long-standing conflict and poverty, the region remains an attractive but challenging place to do business. Transport, logistics, natural resources and technology will be the basis of wider growth, and GardaWorld Security will continue to seek out opportunities to apply its expertise.

“As Africa continues to grow and expand its presence on the world stage, GardaWorld Security will grow by being the preferred partner to the biggest players in sectors including extractives, critical infrastructure and digital infrastructure. It’s also our goal to be the preeminent provider of diplomatic security services and journey management on the continent,” says Westmacott. “We have made incredible progress, but there is still significant untapped potential. We are very bullish about the markets we are committed to and about the growth strategy we have.” 

Asked if, after the Kenya rebrand is complete, the GardaWorld Security brand in Africa is now the strongest in the security industry, he is in no doubt. “We have a clearly defined offering and within that we are absolutely the market leader.” 

By continuing to lead the way in terms of quality service delivery, innovative product development, and – ultimately – results that add value for clients, GardaWorld Security will stand apart from the rest of the market.

“We are increasingly differentiated because of our integrated, multi-service offering which contrasts to our main competitor,” Westmacott concludes. “We provide things that others simply don’t, both within GardaWorld Security and in the global GardaWorld corporation. For example, Crisis24, a GardaWorld business, offers an industry leading AI-enhanced platform in travel risk management, mass communications, critical event management, crisis-security consulting, and personal protection solutions. Meanwhile ECAMSECURE, another GardaWorld business, is a pioneer in outdoor video surveillance, providing portable surveillance systems that combine AI, technology and state-of-the-art mobile security equipment. There is a lot that GardaWorld as a corporation does in its quest to create global champions in security.”

This edge allows the company to deliver on its mission of making the world a safer place by protecting clients’ people, assets and operations.