Yes, conveyancers require a valid Electric Fence COC.

No. SANS regulations require the fence to be clear of vegetation. Arcing reduces voltage and is the number 1 cause of false alarms.

No, only a registered EFSI (Electric Fence System Installer) can legally install and certify the system.

Energizers in South Africa are manufactured to generate a pulse of electricity every 1.13 seconds. These pulses are carried by the wires from the fence-out back to the fence-in terminals on the energizer. These pulses are timed and measured by the energizer. In the event of a live and earth wire touching for more that 3 seconds a short circuit is measured as the resistance of the pulses changed and an alarm condition is recorded. Alarm will go off. In the event that a positive wire is cut there is also a change in resistance and an alarm condition is recorded. Some Nemtek and Stinger Electronics energizers are able to monitor earth wires.

In South Africa, it’s usually a combination. The primary power comes from your 220V mains, which keeps the internal battery charged. The energizer functions on only 12v which it uses to energize a capacitor within which discharges every 1.13 second onto the wires. All energizers come with an internal 12v lead acid battery. However, because of load shedding, a professional system is always backed up by an external charger and 12V battery (ideally Lithium-ion) to keep the fence live when the lights go out.

For a security fence in South Africa, you want to see between 5,000V and 9900V (5kV to 7.5kV). Anything below 3,000V is generally considered ineffective for security. Many reasons for low voltage exist. From distance of fence, type of wires used, vegetation or energizer type.

This is the most important safety feature. While the voltage is high, the amperage is extremely low—usually around 120 milliamps (0.12 Amps). This is why the shock is painful and deterrent, but not lethal.

In the industry, we measure Joules (energy). A standard residential energizer might put out 4 to 8 Joules. Animal control energizers can be 14 Joules.

The Energizer that creates the pulse. The high conductivity Aluminum wire that carries the power, Insulators that keep the wires from touching the brackets. Brackets that carry the wires and forms the backbone of any electric fence. Earth Spikes are copper plated metal rods driven 1.2m deep into the ground (crucial for the shock to work). Warning Signs are legally required to warn people.

For security installations it is a Live-Earth-Live configuration. Only Live wires carries an electrical pulse.

Wall-Top Fencing: These sit on top of your existing boundary wall (common in Pretoria suburbs). Free-Standing Fencing: A full-height fence that goes all the way to the ground, often used for rural perimeters or farm boundaries.

Never use your hand! The Right Way: Use a Digital Fence Voltmeter. You connect the live probe to the live wire and the earth probe to the earth wire. It will give you an exact reading in kilovolts (kV). When you need to verify fence voltage get a professional, when you alwas what to know the status. Install a Fence Monitor Light. This light provides visual feedback of the status of your fence.

Beyond human intruders, a properly tensioned fence is excellent at keeping out large dogs, monkeys, and even predators like jackals in more rural areas of Centurion.

Active Deterrent: It deters the would-be criminal element. Early Warning: It triggers an alarm before the intruder is inside your house. Cost-Effective: Low monthly power consumption (roughly the same as a small lightbulb).