Looking at safes for sale? Start with what goes inside, because that decides the rest. Cash and jewellery need burglar resistance; documents need a fire rating; firearms need a gun safe that meets SANS 953-1. Whatever you choose, a safe only works when it is bolted to the floor or a wall; a safe that can be carried out simply leaves with the burglars. Tell us what you need to keep and where the safe will go, and local safe suppliers and locksmiths will quote you, free and with no obligation.
Types of safe
The main kinds are:
- Home safes: small to medium box safes with a key, a keypad or both, for cash, jewellery and passports.
- Gun safes and rifle safes: tall or handgun safes built for firearms.
- Fire safes: insulated to protect papers and media for a rated time. Fire rating and burglar resistance are different ratings; some safes have both, many have one.
- Office and deposit safes: heavier safes, some with a slot so staff can drop cash without opening it.
Gun safes and SANS 953-1
Firearm owners must keep guns in a safe that meets SANS 953-1, the standard SAPS refers to. Ask the supplier for proof the safe meets it, and keep that with your licence papers. Choose the size for the number of firearms you have and might add, with a separate locked compartment for ammunition if you want one. The safe must be bolted to the floor or a wall, usually in a cupboard out of sight.
A digital gun safe opens faster; a key safe needs no batteries. If you ever lose the code or the key, a safe locksmith can open it.
Choosing and placing a safe
Check before you buy:
- Inside size, not just outside size; thick walls take space.
- Lock type: key, keypad, or both. Keypads need batteries and a backup.
- Weight and access: a heavy safe up stairs or on a suspended timber floor needs planning.
- Fixing: bolted into concrete or a solid wall with the bolts inside the safe.
Common mistakes: a safe left loose, the key kept nearby, and a fire safe used for cash. Pair it with good door locks on the room.
What affects the price
Size, steel thickness, rating, lock type and fixing all count, plus delivery for heavy safes. Ask what the safe is rated for, whether bolting down is included and what happens if the keypad fails.
Very cheap, thin-walled safes are easy to cut or lever open, so it is worth paying for steel. Get the inside measurements in writing, check that fixing bolts are supplied, and keep the purchase papers and any compliance certificate with your insurance records. Insurers often ask what safe you have and how it is fixed.
What to include in your request
- What it will hold: cash, papers or firearms
- Inside size you need
- Key, keypad or both
- Where it goes, and the floor type
- Delivery and bolting down included
Safes for different clients
- Homeowners: a keypad safe bolted inside a bedroom cupboard for cash, passports and jewellery
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: a small safe bolted into a unit's built-in cupboard, where floors allow fixing
- Offices, shops and practices: a deposit safe in the back office so staff drop takings without opening it
- Landlords and letting agents: a small safe in a holiday let for guests' passports and valuables
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: a heavy office safe for petty cash, keys and site documents
- Farms and smallholdings: a SANS 953-1 rifle safe bolted in the farmhouse for hunting and vermin rifles
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: a fire-rated safe for records and a key safe for a school or clinic's spare keys
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: security dealers and gunsmiths supplying and bolting in safes for clients
Frequently asked questions
How much do safes for sale cost in South Africa?
What gun safe do I need for a firearm licence?
Is a fire safe also burglar proof?
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Safes by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg