The problem What it does Guard safety Why Picket Pricing FAQ Contact Get a tailored quote
Run cleaning or facilities teams? See Picket for Cleaning and FM
Picket · Security field operations · By Eyona Software Development

The field tools your guards need, at a fair Rand price.

Picket is a PSIRA-aware, offline-first mobile app for small and mid South African guarding companies and the estates, factories and body corporates they serve. Patrol and proof-of-presence, a digital occurrence book, visitor pre-authorisation and guard-safety escalation, with optional shift rostering, in one app. It assists guards, it does not replace them.

Built for SA guarding firms without a fancy control room

Proof on every scanPhone-native NFC and QR checkpoints with GPS, timestamp and photo. No proprietary baton.
Works with no signalOffline-first for patchy coverage and load-shedding. Everything syncs when signal returns.
The guard is safePanic, man-down and no-check-in escalation that tells you the guard is in trouble, not just a point missed.
Scroll to explore

See Picket in action

A quick walkthrough of Picket on the ground: patrol proof, the digital occurrence book, visitor pre-authorisation and guard-safety escalation, in one app.

The big platforms are built for the big operators.

A small guarding firm still has to prove its guards did the rounds, keep an occurrence book that stands up, manage visitors at the gate and know its people are safe. The enterprise tools that do this are priced for national operators, sold as a subscription only, and assume a proprietary baton and a full control room you do not run.

So the small firm makes do: a paper book, a WhatsApp group and a spreadsheet. When a client asks for proof, or PSIRA asks for the record, that is not a strong answer. Picket gives a small firm the field discipline of a big one, priced for its reality.

The paper occurrence book
Easy to backdate, easy to lose, impossible to search when a client or an insurer asks for the timeline.
No proof of the round
A guard signs a sheet in the morning. There is nothing to show a checkpoint was actually reached at the time it should have been.
A lone guard, no lifeline
If a guard is attacked or collapses on a quiet site, nobody knows until the next scheduled call that never comes.
A PSIRA lapse nobody caught
A guard whose registration expired quietly stays on a roster, and the firm only finds out when it is a compliance problem.

Three core jobs, done properly, in one app.

The operational field tools a guarding firm actually runs on, built for South African conditions and priced for a small team, with an optional Scheduler module for rostering on top.

01

Patrol and proof-of-presence

Phone-native checkpoint scans that prove the round was walked, when it should have been, by whom.

  • NFC or QR checkpoints, no proprietary baton or dock
  • GPS, timestamp and photo on every scan
  • Geofenced clock-in, offline-first with automatic sync
  • Randomised round order to stop collusion, with push-prompts for the next round
  • Missed-checkpoint alerts, live and historical patrol views
02

Digital occurrence and incident book

A tamper-evident record that replaces the paper PSIRA occurrence book and holds up when it is questioned.

  • Hash-chained, append-only entries
  • Timestamp and location locked on every entry
  • Photo and voice attachments, structured incident types
  • One-tap PDF export for clients, SAPS and insurers
03

Visitor pre-authorisation

Residents and hosts pre-book guests, so the gate knows who is coming and the record is clean and POPIA-minimal.

  • Resident and host pre-booking
  • QR or PIN guest passes
  • ID and plate capture at the gate
  • POPIA-minimal retention, aligned to the incoming Gated-Access Code of Conduct
Optional module

Scheduler: rostering and the payroll close

Add rostering on top of Core when you need it. Recurring shift patterns, including rotating cycles like 12-hour four-on-four-off, site rosters with posts and coverage, applying a pattern across a month with a clash-checking preview and undo, PSIRA-gated guard-to-shift assignment, and roster-fed timesheets that surface no-show and out-of-geofence exceptions and flow into a Supervisor to HR to Director approval close. R25 per active guard a month, on any Core plan.

It knows when the guard is in trouble.

Most patrol apps only tell you a point was missed. Picket is built to tell you something has happened to the person. On a lone night shift, that is the difference that matters.

A panic call, a phone that stops moving, a check-in that never comes: each one escalates up the chain, from supervisor to control room to client, until someone responds.

Panic and SOS with silent duress
A guard can raise the alarm openly, or trigger a silent duress signal that looks like nothing to an attacker.
Man-down detection
The phone's accelerometer flags a fall or a long lack of movement and raises an alert on the guard's behalf.
No-check-in and lone-worker escalation
A dead-man timer expects a check-in. When it does not arrive, the alert chains from supervisor to control room to client.

Everything a small firm needs, nothing it does not.

The cross-cutting strengths that make Picket a fair, complete tool rather than a stripped-down enterprise product.

PSIRA-aware, with gating

Tracks guard grade and licence-expiry dates and gates assignment, so a guard whose PSIRA lapses cannot be assigned to a site.

Offline-first, by design

Patchy signal and load-shedding are the norm here, so Picket captures on the device and syncs automatically when the connection is back.

Multi-site operations dashboard

Every site, patrol and open incident on one screen for the supervisor and ops team, without a dedicated control room.

Client SLA proof-of-service

The report that renews a contract: rounds walked, incidents handled and response times, ready to send the client each month.

Rostering and payroll close

Hours from geofenced clock-in flow out to SimplePay, Pastel and Sage formats without re-keying. The optional Scheduler module adds shift rostering and the Supervisor to HR to Director approval close on top.

POPIA-aligned throughout

Personal information is minimised and retention is controlled by design, from visitor records to incident attachments.

The phone they already carry

No proprietary baton, no dock, no extra device to lose or maintain. Guards use the Android or iOS phone in their pocket.

AI only where it helps

We do not force AI in. It is optional and used only where it genuinely helps, such as ID OCR at the gate. The core is solid software.

One app for the whole field, at a price a small firm can actually say yes to.

Nobody local bundles patrol, the occurrence book, visitor management and optional rostering into one PSIRA-aware app. That integration, plus pricing published right on the page, is the point.

You stop paying for several disconnected tools, or making do with paper and WhatsApp, and get one record that ties the round, the incident and the visitor together, with rostering that feeds the same timesheets when you add the Scheduler module.

One integrated record
Patrol, occurrence book, visitors and optional rostering in one app, not several logins that never reconcile.
Once-off or monthly
Built for South African firms and South African budgets, with a once-off option, not subscription-only.
Built for our conditions
Offline-first and POPIA-aligned from the start, because patchy signal and compliance are not edge cases here.

The right view for each person.

One product, four roles, so the guard, the supervisor, the client and the admin each see exactly what they need.

Guard

A simple mobile app: scan checkpoints, log incidents, raise a panic and check in, on the phone they already carry.

Supervisor and ops

Web and mobile: live patrols, incidents and guard safety across sites, with escalation chains, and optional rostering and the payroll-approval close.

Estate and client

A read-only view of the proof that matters: rounds walked, incidents handled and the SLA report each month.

Admin

Manage sites, guards, checkpoints, PSIRA records and clients, and configure the SOP and escalation for the firm.

Transparent pricing, published on the page.

Picket is modular. Start with Picket Core, the full field-operations platform from R2,500 a month, and add the optional Scheduler module when you want rostering and the payroll-approval close. We publish every number right here so you can budget before you email us.

Picket Core
The field-operations platform your guards and supervisors run every day.
Once-off setupR15,000 to R90,000
Then monthlyFrom R2,500
Patrols, occurrence book, visitor management, time and attendance, PSIRA-aware gating and payroll CSV export.
Core plus Scheduler
Add rostering and the payroll-approval close on top of any Core plan.
Your Core planAs above
Scheduler, per active guard / month+ R25
Extra setup and floorNone
Shift patterns, site rosters, PSIRA-gated assignment, roster-fed timesheets and a Supervisor to HR to Director approval close.

Picket Core

The complete field-operations platform. A once-off setup, then a simple monthly plan, priced per active guard or in a flat band, your choice.

Setup, once-off
R15,000 to R90,000
Scaled to the size of your firm. We configure your sites, checkpoints, SOPs, PSIRA records and escalation chains, and onboard your guards and supervisors. Full band breakdown below.
Then, monthly
From R2,500 / month
Per active guard, or a flat band, whichever suits you. A R2,500 monthly floor means the smallest firm always knows its minimum. Hosting, updates and support included.
In every Core plan
  • Patrol and proof-of-presence
  • Digital occurrence and incident book
  • Visitor management and pre-authorisation
  • Time and attendance with geofenced clock-in
  • Guard-safety escalation and PSIRA-aware gating
  • Multi-site dashboard, SLA reports and payroll CSV export

No per-scan meter and no lock-in tricks. Visitor pre-authorisation is included from the Growth plan up, and available on Starter as an add-on from +R599/month. All your estates and sites run in one account, each with its own geofence, checkpoints and SLA report, and each plan includes a site allowance (5 to 60 sites by band, then R250/month per additional site). The same core toolkit is in every plan, you are only choosing how you want to be billed.

Per active guard
Pay for the guards you actually deploy. The rate drops as you grow.
Active guardsPer guard / month
1 to 50R45
51 to 150R38
151 to 300R32
301 to 500R28
500+By arrangement
A monthly floor of R2,500 applies: a firm with up to about 55 guards simply pays the floor, nothing more.
Or a flat band
Prefer one fixed number every month? Pick the band that fits your team.
PlanCoversPer month
StarterUp to 50 guardsR2,500
Growth51 to 150 guardsR6,500
Scale151 to 300 guardsR11,000
Scale+301 to 500 guardsR14,000
Same features in every band, and each band includes a site allowance: Starter 5, Growth 15, Scale 30, Scale+ 60, then R250/month per additional site. You are choosing how you are billed, not what you get.

Scheduler module (optional)

Add rostering and the payroll-approval close on top of any Core plan. One flat rate per active guard, using the same active-guard count as your Core plan.

Scheduler module
+ R25 / active guard / month
Added on top of any Core plan, whether you are on the per-guard rate or a flat band. Same active-guard count as Core. No separate setup fee and no separate monthly floor.
A worked example
R6,500 + R2,500 = R9,000
A firm on the Growth band with 100 active guards pays R6,500 for Core, plus 100 guards at R25 for the Scheduler module, so R9,000 a month all in.
What the Scheduler module adds
  • Recurring shift patterns, including rotating cycles like 12-hour and four-on-four-off
  • Site rosters with posts and coverage per site
  • Apply a pattern across a month with a clash-checking preview, then apply or undo
  • Guard-to-shift assignment with the PSIRA check applied, so a lapsed guard is blocked
  • Roster-fed timesheets with exceptions surfaced: no-show, zero-hours and out-of-geofence
  • A Supervisor to HR to Director approval close, then a locked payroll export

At R25 per active guard, the Scheduler module costs less than standalone rostering tools charge for rostering alone, and it lives in the same platform as your patrols, occurrence book and time and attendance. Choose Picket Core on its own, or Core plus Scheduler.

Running a control room too?

Picket is the field-operations layer. For firms that also run a control room, it pairs with Cordon, our control-room incident-intelligence product, so what your guards capture in the field lands in one live incident for the operator.

The things firms actually ask.

Straight answers, before you spend a minute on a form.

Do guards need special hardware or a proprietary patrol baton?
No. Picket uses the phone the guard already carries. Checkpoints are plain NFC tags or printed QR codes, so there is no proprietary baton and no docking station to buy or maintain.
What happens when there is no signal or the power is out?
Picket is offline-first. Scans, occurrence entries and photos are captured on the device and sync automatically the moment signal returns. Patchy coverage and load-shedding do not stop a guard from working or break the record.
How is the occurrence book tamper-evident?
Entries are append-only and hash-chained, each locked to a timestamp and location with photo and voice attachments. You get a one-tap PDF export for a client, SAPS or an insurer, which replaces the paper PSIRA occurrence book.
Does Picket keep me aligned with PSIRA?
Picket is PSIRA-aware. It tracks guard grade and licence-expiry dates and gates assignment, so a guard whose PSIRA lapses cannot be assigned to a site until it is renewed.
What does Picket cost?
Picket is modular. Picket Core is a once-off setup of R15,000 to R90,000 scaled to the size of your firm, then a monthly plan: R45 per active guard per month, tapering to R28 as your guard count grows, with a R2,500 monthly floor. Or pick a flat band: Starter R2,500 (up to 50 guards), Growth R6,500 (51 to 150), Scale R11,000 (151 to 300), Scale+ R14,000 (301 to 500). Core includes hosting, updates, support and a site allowance (5 to 60 sites by band, then R250 a month per additional site). The optional Scheduler module adds R25 per active guard per month on any Core plan, with no separate setup fee or floor. All prices exclude VAT. The full tables are in the pricing section above.
We guard multiple estates. How does that work?
All your sites live in one Picket account. Each estate or site gets its own geofence, checkpoints, SOPs and monthly SLA report, and each estate client can get a read-only view of just their own site. Billing stays per active guard across your firm, and each plan includes a site allowance: 5 sites on Starter, 15 on Growth, 30 on Scale, 60 on Scale+, then R250 a month per additional active site. An estate buying directly for a single site starts at Starter, R2,500 a month.
What is the Scheduler module and what does it add?
The Scheduler module is an optional add-on to any Picket Core plan at R25 per active guard per month, using the same active-guard count as Core, with no separate setup fee or floor. It adds recurring shift patterns (including rotating cycles like 12-hour and four-on-four-off), site rosters with posts and coverage per site, applying a pattern across a month with a clash-checking preview and undo, guard-to-shift assignment with the PSIRA check applied so a lapsed guard is blocked, roster-fed timesheets with no-show, zero-hours and out-of-geofence exceptions, and a Supervisor to HR to Director approval close into a locked payroll export. It costs less than standalone rostering tools charge for rostering alone, and it lives in the same platform as your patrols, occurrence book and time and attendance.
Does Picket replace my guards or my control room?
No. Picket assists guards, it does not replace them. It is the field-operations layer your guards and supervisors use on the ground. For firms that also run a control room, it pairs with Cordon, our control-room incident-intelligence product.

See it on your operation.

Tell us how many guards and sites you run, and what you use today. We will reply by email with a tailored Rand quote and a practical first deployment path for your firm. We are onboarding our first pilot firms now.

  • A tailored Rand quote, scoped up front
  • A first deployment path for your sites
  • No call required, we reply by email, usually same day

Prefer email? info@eyonasoftware.co.za · Typically replies same day