Organisations across Africa are accelerating the shift from fragmented surveillance infrastructure to unified security platforms, according to new data from global physical security software firm Genetec.
The company’s 2026 State of Physical Security Report – drawn from responses by more than 7,300 security professionals worldwide, including over 180 from across Africa- finds that over 70% of organisations globally now operate unified or integrated security systems, as enterprises move to consolidate video surveillance, access control, analytics, and cybersecurity onto a single operational environment.
The findings land as demand for connected security infrastructure intensifies across key African markets, particularly South Africa, where the technology is deployed widely across retail, mining, financial services, and transport.
IT and security functions converging
One of the report’s standout Africa-specific findings is the degree to which IT departments have gained access to physical security data. Some 73% of African end users say their IT teams now receive physical security data, significantly above the global average of 52%.
The gap signals a faster-than-average convergence between IT and security functions on the continent — driven largely by the rollout of IP-connected devices, including network cameras and smart access control systems, which sit on corporate networks and require active cyber management.
“Organisations across South Africa are rethinking how security systems fit into their broader digital environments,” said Quintin Roberts, Regional Sales Manager at Genetec. “Unified platforms allow teams to move away from reactive monitoring and toward security operations that deliver real-time insight, stronger control, and closer alignment with IT.”
Integration requirements are also reshaping how organisations approach upgrades. Around 60% of global respondents cite the need to integrate new technologies as their primary reason for replacing existing systems – ahead of simple end-of-life replacement.
AI analytics demand more than doubles
Regional appetite for AI-driven analytics has surged, with interest among African end users more than doubling year-on-year. Organisations are increasingly deploying automation to improve incident response times, expand monitoring coverage, and extract operational insights from security data that go beyond traditional safety functions.
The trend reflects a broader repositioning of physical security – from a standalone cost centre to a source of business intelligence feeding into staffing, logistics, and enterprise risk decisions.
“Unified security systems are no longer just about consolidation,” Roberts added. “They are becoming a foundation for how organisations across Africa manage risk, resilience, and operational complexity as digital transformation accelerates.”
Skills shortage a persistent brake on adoption
Despite the momentum, adoption faces structural headwinds. The report finds that 38% of African respondents identify training and upskilling as a key challenge – nearly double the 21% EMEA average – pointing to a widening skills gap in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, and data analytics that could slow deployment at scale.
Supply chain constraints are an additional friction point, affecting hardware availability and stretching deployment timelines for organisations looking to modernise legacy infrastructure.
The pattern is consistent with broader technology adoption trends across the continent: demand is running ahead of the local talent and supply ecosystems needed to fulfil it – a gap that will require coordinated action from vendors, system integrators, and policymakers to close.
Go to TECHTRENDSKE.co.ke for more tech and business news from the African continent and across the world.
Follow us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Twitter, and Facebook, or subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any future updates. Send tips to editorial@techtrendsmedia.co.ke
