Objectives

The primary objective is to enhance municipal security and operational efficiency through the deployment of a centralised Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system at six strategic municipal entrances. Specific goals include:

• Automatically identifying vehicles entering and exiting monitored locations.
• Providing real-time alerts for authorised watchlists and maintaining searchable historical records.
• Supporting security investigations and improving situational awareness.
• Enabling centralised management, reporting, and analytics across all sites.
• Ensuring compliance with data protection legislation and providing a scalable, resilient architecture for future expansion.

Scope of Work

The successful bidder must deliver a complete turnkey solution encompassing ten implementation phases, from project initiation and site surveys to final handover and maintenance. The scope includes:

• Hardware & Infrastructure: Supply, delivery, and installation of twelve dedicated ANPR cameras (two per entrance), mounting structures, network equipment, power systems (including UPS, solar, or battery backups where grid power is unreliable), and surge/lightning protection.
• Software & Integration: Provision of ANPR processing software, a central management platform, storage solutions, and software licences. Integration with existing CCTV infrastructure and control room systems via documented APIs.
• Services: Technical design, civil works, network connectivity setup, cybersecurity configuration, acceptance testing, commissioning, comprehensive training for ICT and security personnel, and provision of full technical documentation.
• Maintenance & Support: Twelve months of preventative and corrective maintenance, technical support, and adherence to a defined Service Level Agreement (SLA) guaranteeing 99.5% system availability. A minimum three-year hardware warranty is required, along with a five-year Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) breakdown.

Technical Requirements

Bidders must propose a robust, end-to-end system meeting stringent performance and security standards:

• Cameras: Minimum 4MP resolution, dedicated ANPR functionality, day/night operation, integrated infrared illumination, wide dynamic range (WDR), automatic exposure/gain control, H.264/H.265 compression, minimum 25 fps, edge processing capabilities, IP66 environmental rating, and vandal-resistant construction suitable for outdoor conditions.
• Recognition & Detection: High accuracy in reading South African registration plates under varying lighting and weather conditions. Each detection must generate detailed metadata including plate number, timestamp, location, direction, lane, images, recognition confidence, and vehicle classification.
• Network & Power: Complete communication infrastructure (fibre, microwave, or licensed wireless) with specified bandwidth, latency, VPN, VLAN, and firewall requirements. The system must buffer events locally during outages and synchronise upon restoration. Power budgets must be calculated per site, with alternative power solutions provided where necessary.
• Central Platform & Features: A single management interface for live monitoring, vehicle searches (including partial/wildcard), movement history, configurable watchlists, real-time multi-channel alerts, GIS mapping, role-based access control, multi-factor authentication, and comprehensive audit logging.
• Data Security & Compliance: Full compliance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), including encryption, secure storage, controlled deletion, data breach protocols, and strict data ownership clauses. All municipal data must remain under municipal control, with clear exit strategies and data portability provisions.
• Performance & Testing: Acceptance testing must verify day/night operation, recognition accuracy across traffic speeds and volumes, network resilience, and alert functionality. The system must guarantee 99.5% monthly availability.

Skills and Experience Requirements

Bidders must demonstrate proven capability and relevant expertise:

• Proven Track Record: Submission of evidence detailing at least three comparable ANPR system implementations, including client references, project scope, camera quantities, dates, contract values, and contact details.
• Technical Expertise: Demonstrated proficiency in deploying and integrating ANPR hardware and software, network architecture, cybersecurity protocols, power management systems, and civil installation works.
• Project Management: Ability to execute a structured, phased implementation plan, conduct thorough site surveys, manage cross-functional teams, and deliver comprehensive training programmes.
• Regulatory & Administrative Compliance: Familiarity with South African public procurement regulations, tax compliance verification processes, Central Supplier Database (CSD) registration requirements, and municipal supply chain management policies.

Note on Complex Terms: POPIA refers to the Protection of Personal Information Act, South Africa’s data privacy law governing the collection, use, and storage of personal data. Edge Processing means performing data analysis directly on the camera or local device rather than sending raw video to a central server, reducing bandwidth and latency. TCO stands for Total Cost of Ownership, requiring bidders to itemise all capital and recurring operational expenses over a five-year period.