Anti-hijack systems in South Africa: immobilisers, kill switches and gear locks

How many cars are hijacked in South Africa?

SAPS recorded 3 811 carjackings from April to June 2026, down from 4 657 in the same months of 2025.¹⁵ That quarter’s figure has fallen every year since 2022, when it was 5 866.¹⁶ Of the 3 788 carjackings SAPS broke down by vehicle type, 1 552 involved sedans, hatchbacks and coupés, and 1 083 involved bakkies and panel vans.¹⁷

SAPS doesn’t count makes or models. King Price’s 2026 ranking of the most hijacked cars puts the Hilux first and gives no figure for any model.¹⁸ The table above shows the factory security on nine of its ten cars.

What does an immobiliser do?

It stops the engine starting without the right key or code, as Pineapple puts it, and every car in the table has one from the factory.² Insurers still tell drivers to check: OUTsurance’s advice is to “Invest in a proper alarm system and tracking unit or fit an electronic immobiliser if you have not done so already.”¹⁹ Bidvest groups immobilisers with trackers as part of “comprehensive security systems”.³

An immobiliser can be beaten. In August 2026 TopAuto, citing LandCruiserSA, described CAN-bus injection as “the newest and most sophisticated method”: thieves reach the car’s data network through a headlight, wheel-arch or wing-mirror connector, which unlocks the doors, gets past the alarm and immobiliser and lets them push-start the engine, in under 90 seconds by “some estimates”. The Hilux, Fortuner, Land Cruiser and Prado were named.²⁰ Toyota South Africa had already offered a free security update against “CAN attack” on some models in 2022.²¹

Steering-wheel locks and gear locks

A steering-wheel lock is the physical lock insurers mention. Pineapple says it provides “a physical barrier against theft”, Safire suggests “an additional physical anti-theft device, such as a steering-wheel lock”, and Bidvest calls them “visible deterrents that may encourage criminals to seek easier targets”.^2,3,22

Gear locks now come from the factory on one of the most hijacked bakkies. The new Hilux Raider, Raider X and SRX list a “Gearlock” in their anti-theft equipment, and the Raider and Raider X add Ultra-Wide Band.⁶ Toyota’s brochure says the new alarm uses ultra-wideband technology “to help prevent remote signal jamming”, on selected models.²³ We found no South African source on what an aftermarket gear lock costs or how insurers view one.

Kill switches and anti-hijack devices

For kill switches and add-on anti-hijack devices, we found no independent South African source on what they cost or whether insurers give a discount for them, so we don’t give prices here. Ask the installer, and ask your insurer whether the device changes your cover before you buy it.

The law is clearer. The AA says devices “cutting out an engine a minute or two after a hijacking are thus illegal on vehicles that rely on engine power to assist braking”, especially those with air brakes, and adds: “Passenger vehicles and bakkies may be proved in court to be lacking in braking ability after a remotely controlled engine cut-out.” Regulation 149A of the road traffic regulations bars any anti-theft device connected to, or interfering with, the braking system of a vehicle registered on or after 1 July 1990. The AA’s advice is that “The safest counter-measure would be to reduce the vehicle to an engine idle mode that does not cut out engine power”.¹

One carmaker offers a remote cut-out through its own service. On the 2026 Hilux, Toyota Remote includes stolen-vehicle tracking, which it calls “a customer-care assisted service used when a vehicle is suspected stolen”. Toyota’s partner immobilises the car after checking with the owner, and “The user cannot immobilize the vehicle directly in the app.”²⁴

What insurers require

Insurers set the devices per car when your cover starts. King Price says “You may need to fit an anti-theft device in your car, the details of which will be confirmed with you at the inception of your cover, and will also be noted on your policy schedule.” Without a required tracker that works “as per the manufacturer’s specifications”, it gives no theft and hijack cover.⁴ MiWay’s wording says it “may require additional anti-theft devices in my vehicle”, and Safire tells drivers to make sure “all prescribed anti-theft devices are fitted, operational and activated”.^5,22

Two points are easy to miss. King Price’s car warranty doesn’t cover damage to “your car’s immobiliser or security system, whether factory-fitted or not”.⁴ And we found no insurer that publishes a discount for an immobiliser or gear lock; the only discount we found mentioned was for a tracker, which Hyundai says “might also lead to a discounted vehicle insurance premium”.²⁵

Where a tracker fits in

The immobiliser and lock make the car harder to take; the tracker is how it is found afterwards. Keep it working: MiWay tells drivers to test “your tracking device at least once a year, since functional security can affect cover and recovery”.²⁶ On a keyless car, read our guide to relay attacks and keyless car theft as well.

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