Fidelity Services Group and SkyNet Worldwide Express today announced a collaborative partnership to provide an innovative security solution in response to the unacceptably high volume of hijackings and robberies in the courier sector.
These brands have combined people with smart tech to securely transport assets. SkyNet Worldwide Express and Fidelity are market leaders in their respective industries.
Over the last 12 – 14 months the number of attacks on courier companies has escalated dramatically. This not only has resulted in significant financial loss for the sector but also a high loss of life.
South Africa has seen an increase in online shopping so these type of vehicles have become a popular target for criminals. Experts on the matter are concerned about the impact these robberies will have on the country’s already ailing economy, as the local e-commerce industry’s estimated R62 million in revenue this year alone is under threat.
Wahl Bartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Services Group, says many of the companies already use private security to secure their loads but the modus operandi of the attacks has changed since lockdown and courier vans have become a target for sporadic violent attacks which require a more specialised solution.
Tommy Erasmus, Chief Executive Officer of SkyNet Worldwide Express, agrees saying courier companies and truck deliveries have unfortunately become an easy target for criminals as the drivers are often unarmed or untrained to deal with crime of this nature.
“We have seen a particular spike in big cities such as Johannesburg where the demand for delivered goods is the highest. There is also a belief that the value of the goods that are being transported and delivered and which can easily be resold on the black market, is another factor contributing to the crime trend. The link with Fidelity was a natural one, based on their extensive experience in the cash in transit sector and their ability to offer a fully integrated end to end risk solution.” says Erasmus.
Bartmann believes that like the spike in CIT robberies, these attacks on couriers are often orchestrated by internal collusion with external well trained and armed syndicates.
SkyNet Worldwide Express and Fidelity Services Group have accordingly taken urgent and decisive action and united to stop this surge by coming up with a solution that combines people with smart tech to secure assets.
“The link with Fidelity was a natural one, based on their extensive experience in the cash in transit sector and their ability to offer a fully integrated end to end solution,” notes Erasmus.
What can we expect from the partnership?
As a global player in the courier sector, SkyNet Worldwide Express and Fidelity Services Group, the industry leader in protection innovation, have spent the past year innovating and developing an industry first. “Together we are evolving our joint capacity for intelligent security management, based on continuous risk assessment, in order to adapt to constantly changing situations,” says Erasmus.
“There will be live vehicle tracking and CCTV monitoring to alert the teams of any suspicious activity, and in the case of an emergency, the Fidelity SkyNet solution will include immediate access to both the group’s extensive land and air resources. Our specialist tactical intervention teams nationally will be deployed to protect assets.” says Bartmann.
Both parties are confident the new approach will yield positive results and meet the demands of South African businesses where the highest level of security is mandatory.
