Mi7 Security Intelligence

A dampened Autumn sun withdrew behind a cluster of clouds in the Pietermaritzburg morning sky.

The car’s infotainment system read March 6, 2021. It was 9am. Mi7 National Group manager Damian Venter pulled closed the door of his recently polished Ford Mustang and turned on the ignition, awakening the engine.

As he inched toward the gate, he peaked into the rear view mirror to count the 17 vehicles lined behind him. As he drove out, they followed in convoy.

This was a moment engrained into the memory of all Mi7 team members present on the day: it marked the first time the wheels of Mi7 Armed Response and Emergency Medical Services vehicles
touched the tarmac, on official duty, outside the company’s headquarters in Mkondeni.

The procession followed the R103 until it reached the Ashburton Pick n Pay, where Mi7 National Group’s teams, vehicles, equipment and technology would for the first time be displayed to the public.

The community turnout was overwhelming: little ones hopping behind the steering wheels of their favourite vehicles, yanking from left to right while imitating engine noises; mothers explaining the many security threats they encounter in their neighbourhoods; and fathers curiously inspecting the technological equipment at the company’s disposal.

It was then that Mi7 National Group managers realised that no ordinary service would suffice. For the company, this meant translating twenty years of lessons learnt in corporate guarding, VIP protection, priority escorts and strike control into a community-orientated, holistic security strategy that would equally cover those who could afford it as well as those who could not.

The company’s goal was therefore to provide a tripartite approach based on three pillars: security, medical response, and wellness. This builds towards a vision of a community which can walk the streets of their neighbourhood without fear and sleep peacefully knowing they are safe in their homes; a vision of a community which can access critical medical care when their lives depend on it; and a vision of a community in good overall health, engaging in recreational activities together at local parks and communal spaces.

Mi7 National Group has spent the year striving to make this vision a reality.

The Emergency Medical Services division started with two ambulances and a small crew of dedicated paramedics. They were mandated to respond to each and every emergency which came through
their telephone line, from motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, hospital transfers, and medical call outs. While a nominal fee is charged for their service, clients without medical aids could pay as little as R70 per month for access to 24-hour medical assistance