With more than six decades of pioneering cash security in South Africa, Fidelity Services Group has unveiled a purpose-engineered Cash-in-Transit (CIT) vehicle designed to redefine crew protection, threat deterrence, and operational resilience in an increasingly complex criminal environment.
Cash-in-Transit crime remains one of South Africa’s most organised and high-impact threats. However, the trajectory is beginning to shift. According to the Cash-in-Transit Association of South Africa (CITASA), 180 CIT robberies were recorded nationally in 2025 — representing a 13% year-on-year decline.
Within Fidelity Cash Solutions, the improvements have been even more significant. Successful vehicle attacks declined by 23%, while cross-pavement robberies decreased by 12.5% over the same period. Importantly, not a single attack has been recorded against any of the Group’s newly deployed trucks.
These results underscore the scale and criticality of Fidelity’s operations. The Group processes approximately R246 billion in cash annually, completing around 29 000 pickups daily across more than 31 000 service points — equating to over 630 000 collections every month across every municipality in South Africa and Eswatini.
Its fleet of 1 162 armoured vehicles services 942 routes daily and collectively travelled more than 65 million kilometres over the past year. Any disruption to this network would have immediate consequences for retailers, banks, informal traders, and the communities they serve.
A vehicle built for a changing threat environment
The newly developed CIT vehicle has been engineered around a monocoque hull — a single welded steel structure integrating the drivetrain and all operational subsystems into one reinforced unit. This significantly reduces body roll and improves resistance to side-impact ramming attacks.
The floor structure incorporates a shallow V-shaped profile constructed from high-tensile armoured steel, enhancing structural integrity and improving crew protection in the event of an explosive device being detonated beneath the vehicle.
All exterior glazing and ballistic protection conform to B6+ STANAG specifications, the recognised international benchmark for resistance against high-powered firearms. The vehicles are also equipped with run-flat tyre technology, enabling continued mobility even after sustaining tyre damage during an attack.
The onboard safe system features multiple independently secured compartments with reinforced anti-cut inner linings and has undergone controlled blasting tests under the custodianship of the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research). Safe locking systems are geo-fencing compatible, allowing access only within authorised geographic zones.
To further protect crews, all personnel areas are lined with self-extinguishing, fire-retardant insulation — a direct response to the increasing use of fire as a criminal tactic during attacks.
Additional features include:
- Internal and external surveillance cameras
- Remote interlocking and vault access systems
- Integrated vehicle tracking and communications
- Full armoured protection for both cabin and personnel compartments
- Capacity configurations for two to four crew members
Since November 2023, Fidelity has deployed 125 of these next-generation vehicles, including 23 Superbulk units. An additional 48 newly built vehicles and 38 refurbished units have subsequently been added to the fleet. Collectively, these vehicles have travelled more than five million kilometres without a single security incident.
Intelligence, infrastructure, and eyes in the sky
The vehicle programme forms part of a broader integrated security ecosystem operated by Fidelity Services Group.
The Group’s National Command and Risk Centre provides centralised operational oversight, supported by onsite control rooms delivering real-time visibility across the network. An AI-driven auto-routing system dynamically generates and optimises routes based on customer schedules, traffic patterns, risk assessments, and vehicle capacity, while also enabling real-time rerouting in response to incidents or emerging threats.
Integrated telematics and IoT sensors continuously monitor driving behaviour and automatically flag unauthorised route deviations.
Nationally, Fidelity deploys:
- 35 National Support Units
- 130 Tactical Support Units
- 12 Tactical Intervention Units staffed by former military personnel and organised crime specialists
- 14 Tactical Armed Reaction Units
These teams provide route clearing, escorting, and rapid-response capabilities across the country.
From the air, Fidelity’s helicopter operations provide both deterrence and tactical support, with aircraft dynamically deployed according to assessed risk rather than fixed geographic allocation. The Group’s Air Wing further enhances aerial surveillance and rapid response capabilities across the national footprint.
Fidelity’s intelligence and investigations division also works proactively to identify and disrupt organised criminal syndicates before incidents occur.
Partnership with Ox Nché
The launch coincides with a strategic partnership between Fidelity Services Group and Springbok prop Ox Nché — a figure widely respected not only for his rugby achievements but also for his consistency, discipline, and composure under pressure.
The partnership reflects qualities central to Fidelity’s operational philosophy: resilience, reliability, discipline, and performance when it matters most. In the CIT environment, those qualities are not symbolic — they are essential.
Leadership perspective
Wahl Bartmann, Group Chief Executive Officer of Fidelity Services Group, said the launch reflects the organisation’s long-term responsibility to the broader economy:
“In South Africa, cash remains a vital enabler of daily life. It powers businesses, supports communities, and drives economic participation across both the formal and informal sectors.
At Fidelity, we are entrusted with the responsibility of moving South Africa’s money safely and reliably every day.
Our continued investment in advanced fleet capability, operational intelligence, and integrated security infrastructure reflects our commitment to staying ahead of evolving threats while ensuring the resilience and continuity of cash movement across the country.”
Fidelity Services Group has operated in the cash-in-transit sector since 1957, when it introduced the country’s first CIT services. Today, the Group’s cash solutions division employs nearly 5 000 people, operates 48 depots nationally, and holds an estimated 70–75% market share in retail CIT services.
The next-generation vehicle programme represents Fidelity’s continued commitment to protecting the movement of cash — and the economy that depends on it.