How Much Does Cyber Security Cost for a Small Business in South Africa?

Managed cyber security for a South African small business costs between R69 and R99 per user per month with Cyber Guard, so a 20-person business pays about R1,380 to R1,980 a month. Prices across the market vary widely because providers bundle different things. What matters is whether you get protection plus monitoring and support, not just software.

Most cyber security providers won't share a price until after a sales call. We publish ours, because business owners should be able to budget before they talk to anyone.

What are you actually paying for?

Cyber security for an SME usually has four layers:

1. Device protection: stops viruses, ransomware and data theft on laptops, desktops, servers and phones.
2. Email protection: blocks phishing, fake invoices and harmful links and attachments.
3. Monitoring and response: someone watches for threats and acts when something looks wrong. This is the difference between "software" and "managed".
4. Recovery and financial cover: help after an incident, plus a warranty or insurance for when things still go wrong.

Cheap antivirus covers the first layer only. A managed service covers most or all four.

What does a typical SME pay with Cyber Guard?

All plans are priced per user per month, month-to-month, with a minimum of 5 users.

What each plan includes:

• Essentials (R69): device protection for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, including virus, malware and ransomware protection.
• Business (R85): everything in Essentials, plus email protection against phishing and fake invoices.
• Complete (R99): everything in Business, plus Microsoft 365 and cloud protection.

Every paid plan includes a cyber warranty of up to R1,000,000, underwritten by Hollard. Compare all plans, or read how the warranty compares with cyber insurance.

What affects the price of cyber security?

• Number of users and devices. Most pricing is per user, so check how many devices each user may cover.
• Level of monitoring. Round-the-clock detection and response costs more than software alone, and it's where most of the value is.
• Contract length. Many providers lock you in for 12 to 36 months. Cyber Guard is month-to-month.
• Set-up fees. Ask whether installation, migration or removing old antivirus is charged separately.
• Compliance extras. Policies, POPIA support and staff training are sometimes sold as add-ons.

Is it cheaper to do cyber security yourself?

Consumer antivirus can cost less per device, but then you carry the monitoring, updates, alerts and incident response yourself. For most owners the real cost is time, and the risk that nobody is watching when an attack happens at 2am on a Saturday.

What does a cyber attack cost instead?

For larger South African organisations, Sophos's 2026 study put the average cost of recovering from ransomware at R17.73 million, not counting any ransom paid. Small businesses face smaller numbers, but a single redirected supplier payment, a week of downtime or a POPIA investigation can easily cost more than several years of protection.

A 20-person business on the Business plan spends R20,400 a year. Compare that with the cost of one fake invoice being paid.

6 questions to ask any cyber security provider

1. What exactly is included per user, and how many devices does that cover?
2. Who monitors alerts, and when? Are they local?
3. What happens, and who helps, if we are breached?
4. Is there a warranty or insurance, and what are the conditions?
5. What is the minimum contract and notice period?
6. Are there set-up or exit fees?

How Cyber Guard keeps cyber security affordable

Cyber Guard is a Johannesburg-based managed security provider powered by Trend Micro. You get enterprise-grade protection without an in-house IT team:

• Published prices from R69 per user per month, with no long contract
• Protection for email, laptops, desktops, phones and Microsoft 365
• 24/7 detection and response by Trend Micro AI and the Cyber Guard team
• A cyber warranty of up to R1,000,000 on every paid plan
• No hardware, and usually protected within 48 hours

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to protect a small business?

Turn on multi-factor authentication everywhere, keep software updated and back up your data. Then add managed device and email protection, which starts from R69 per user per month.

Do I need cyber security if I only have 5 employees?

Yes. Criminals use automated attacks and don't filter by company size. Small businesses are often targeted precisely because they have fewer defences.

Is there a long-term contract?

No. Cyber Guard plans are month-to-month, and you can cancel with 30 days' notice.

Is cyber security tax deductible in South Africa?

Business operating expenses are generally deductible. Confirm your own situation with your accountant.

Can I try Cyber Guard before paying?

Yes. Start a 30-day free trial on up to 25 devices. No card is needed. The warranty starts once you subscribe to a paid plan.

Sources: Sophos, The State of Ransomware in South Africa 2026 (via Daily Investor); Cyber Guard pricing.