There are several companies in South Africa that sell bullet-resistant armouring packages for everyday cars.
One of the most notable firms taking part in this market segment is SVI Engineering, which offers a clever configurator on its website that gives users an accurate picture of what it will cost to install several grades of armour on their preferred car – including single and double-cab bakkies, medium and large SUVs, sedans, and minibuses.
With more and more factory-backed armouring packages going on sale each year, there is undoubtedly a big demand for this safety-focused product from local customers.
Types of armour
In the consumer-facing segment, there are generally two types of armouring packages available namely B4 and B6.
They can be had in both discreet and non-discreet styles, with the latter being cheaper as it does not hide the extra components from the naked eye.
For SVI’s packages, B4 offers protection against handguns up to and including the .44 Magnum, made possible through lightweight kevlar sheets that are cut and bonded to the sheet metal areas, multi-layer armoured glass, and targeted protection for parts such as the engine vitals and firewall.
Meanwhile, B6 brings resistance against assault rifles such as the AK47, R5, and R1 and sees installation of even thicker glass panes, steel plates in the body panels, and suspension upgrades to accommodate the additional mass – alongside the other upgrades that took place on the B4.
Vehicle armour prices
Detailed in the following tables are the prices for the variety of armouring solutions sold by SVI, according to the configurator.
The prices are for B4 and B6 discreet armouring packages, as non-discreet options are customarily only taken for security and commercial uses.
It must be noted that all the prices excludes the cost of the vehicle itself.
Single-Cab Bakkie
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R370,000 – R580,000 |
| Roof armour | From R24,000 – R40,000 |
| Floor armour | From R30,000 – R32,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Steel canopy | From R75,000 |
| Total | From R588,000 – R812,000 |
Double-Cab Bakkie
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R500,000 – R760,000 |
| Roof armour | From R31,000 – R60,000 |
| Floor armour | From R40,000 – R50,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R658,000 – R957,000 |
Sedan
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R690,000 |
| Roof armour | From R31,000 |
| Floor armour | From R40,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R778,000 |
Medium SUV
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | R630,000 – R810,000 |
| Roof armour | R37,000 – R60,000 |
| Floor armour | R44,000 – R70,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | R33,000 |
| PA system | R17,000 |
| Total | R798,000 – R1,027,000 |
Large SUV
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R670,000 – R940,000 |
| Roof armour | From R44,000 – R85,000 |
| Floor armour | From R50,000 – R95,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| Bullbar and grille | From R33,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R851,000 – R1,207,000 |
Minibus
| Type of armour | Price |
|---|---|
| 360-degree cabin armour | From R860,000 |
| Roof armour | From R50,000 |
| Run-flat tyres | From R37,000 |
| PA system | From R17,000 |
| Total | From R964,000 |
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