A smart lock lets you open your door from a phone app, a code or a tag, and shows who came and went. Some replace the whole lock; others fit over the inside thumb turn of your existing lock and turn it with a small motor. All of them run on batteries, and most keep a key or a code as a backup for when the batteries or your phone go flat. Tell us about the door and how you want to open it, and local suppliers and locksmiths will quote you, free and with no obligation.
What a smart door lock is, and the main types
A smart door lock is an electronic lock that talks to your phone. There are three common kinds:
- Retrofit smart locks fit over the inside thumb turn of an existing cylinder lock, so the outside of the door looks the same and your keys still work.
- Full smart locks replace the lock set with a motorised lock, usually with a keypad or fingerprint reader outside. If you mostly want a code, see digital and fingerprint locks.
- Smart deadbolts and rim locks add a motorised bolt above the handle you have.
Bluetooth models work within a few metres of the door. Wi-Fi models let you open from anywhere, but need signal at the door or a bridge plugged in nearby.
Choosing a smart lock in South Africa
Start with the door, not the app. Check:
- The lock you have now. A retrofit unit needs a euro profile cylinder with a thumb turn inside; it will not fit a lever mortice lock.
- Door thickness and backset, and whether the stile is narrow, as on many aluminium doors.
- Where the door faces. A keypad in full sun or driving rain needs a weather rating; a door behind a security gate is easier on it.
- Who needs access: family, a domestic worker, a garden service, guests in a holiday let.
The lock keeps working through load shedding on its own batteries, but your router and any Wi-Fi bridge may not.
Fitting, batteries and common mistakes
Most retrofit units go on in under an hour. A full smart lock may need the door drilled or the mortice cut bigger, which is a job for a locksmith. Mistakes we hear about:
- Fitting it on the only way in with no key backup, then finding the batteries flat. Expect months, not years, with heavy use.
- Treating it as the whole security plan. It does not replace a security gate lock or a solid deadbolt.
- Giving everyone one code. Give each person their own code or app access so you can remove it later.
- Forgetting to ask whether your insurer still wants a key lock on outside doors.
What affects the price, and what to ask
The price depends on the type, whether it needs a bridge, the finish and how much work the door needs. Ask the supplier:
- Does it fit my lock and door, and who fits it?
- What happens when the batteries die: is there a key or an emergency power point?
- Does the app need a subscription, and where is my data kept?
- Is there local support and a warranty?
What to include in your request
- The door and the lock on it now
- Bluetooth only, or Wi-Fi for remote access
- How many people need codes or app access
- Whether the door faces sun or rain
- Supply only, or supplied and fitted
Smart Door Locks for different clients
- Homeowners: a smart lock on the front door so family and the domestic worker each get a code
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: a smart lock on a unit door, with the body corporate gate still on its own remote
- Offices, shops and practices: a smart lock on a small office or salon door so staff open with their own app access
- Landlords and letting agents: a smart lock on a rental or holiday let so guest codes expire when they check out
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: a smart lock on a site office or store room that a manager opens from the phone
- Farms and smallholdings: a smart lock on the farmhouse or a cottage, with a key backup for days without signal
- Schools, clinics, churches and hostels: smart locks on staff rooms or offices where keys used to go missing between shifts
- Builders, shopfitters and contractors: property managers and installers fitting smart locks across a block of rental units
Frequently asked questions
How much does a smart lock cost in South Africa?
Listed prices run from about R1,500 to R3,800 per lock for the hardware. A retrofit unit that sits over your thumb turn is usually at the lower end; a full lock with a keypad or fingerprint reader costs more. Fitting is extra, and a Wi-Fi bridge may be sold separately, so ask for each as its own line on the quote.
Does a smart door lock work during load shedding?
Yes. The lock runs on its own batteries, so it opens and closes as usual when the power is off. What may stop is remote access: a Wi-Fi model or bridge needs your router, so without a backup for the router you can only use Bluetooth, a code or the key until the power returns.
Can I fit a smart lock myself?
A retrofit lock that clamps over an existing thumb turn is often a screwdriver job, as long as your cylinder suits it. A full replacement usually means drilling, cutting the mortice or changing the cylinder, and a locksmith will set it square so the motor does not strain and drain the batteries.
Do you sell or install smart locks?
No. We sell and fit nothing. We pass your request to independent lock suppliers and locksmiths near you, and they quote you directly. Tell them the door, your current lock and how you want to open it, then compare the quotes in your own time.
Smart Door Locks 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