What it costs to make your truck bulletproof in South Africa

SVI Engineering in its latest bullet-proofing feat has created a new armouring kit for Hino 500 Series trucks to “counter [the] marked increase in truck hijackings” in South Africa, said Nicol Louw, business development director at SVI.
The Hino commercial vehicle is now available with Stopgun V2.0 cabin armour offering occupants B6-level protection against weapons including assault rifles such as the AK47 and R1.
The semi-discreet armouring kit has a starting price of R544,779 with a project build time of two months.
The company is now taking orders for the new Hino 500 Series Stopgun solution with the first production slots scheduled for January 2023.
Hino 500 Series Stopgun
Louw said the Hino 500 Stopgun kit is a result of clients such as courier services contacting the company looking for ways to reduce the risk of hijacking while simultaneously offering their drivers more protection in the unfortunate event that they are still targeted.
“According to the latest crime statistics provided by the South African Police Service for the second quarter of 2022, the number of reported truck hijackings across the country has increased by nearly 25 percent year on year, and by more than 150 percent compared with the same period in 2020,” said Louw.
Thus, the starting point for the truck protection was the B6 kits already available on double-cab bakkies like the Ford Ranger, featuring a number of model-specific changes to suit the shape of a truck cab.
Unlike the bakkies, the truck forgoes the “double-door” armouring system in favour of an integrated door armour, while gaining upgraded door hinges and bolt-action door locks, as well as an enhanced cab-lifting mechanism to ensure unhindered access to the powertrain for servicing requirements.
Additionally, the nose armour is concealed behind the standard grille, a split windscreen is installed, flat ballistic glass is fitted to each window frame for easier replacement, and all pillars, all glass, and part of the firewall gain B6 bullet-resistant protection
The roof and underfloor are bullet-resistant, too, courtesy of custom-fabricated steel plates.