Here’s how much it costs to operate the 10111 hotline: Does it deliver results, though?
· Citizen
Nearly 20 years after its launch, South Africa’s 10111 emergency call centre number is still ringing, and costing the SA Police Service (Saps) millions of rands every year. Whether the decades-old system is still delivering the results South Africans expect in today’s digital age, however, is another question.
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The hotline was established in 2007 to bridge the gap between victims of crime and the police and to ensure a fast, efficient response from law enforcement and emergency services. It was established to build police visibility and trust in law enforcement and emergency personnel within communities.
However, over the years, people have complained that the hotline is not delivering results, resulting in dissatisfaction and communities taking matters into their own hands.
How the 10111 centre works
The main 10111 Command Centre is based in Midrand, Gauteng, and was built at a cost of at least R600 million. The system operates a toll-free number that can be called from any landline and charges minimum tariffs when called from a cellphone.
Acting minister of police, Firoz Cachalia, said the 10111 centres are not supported by a single system. “The systems utilised at the 10111 centres comprise the Cisco telephone system, the Global Emergency Mobile Communications Command and Control (GEMC3) system, and the Mobile Data System (MDS),” he said in a parliamentary reply.
He was replying to DA MP Ian Cameron’s questions about how much it costs to solely operate the 10111 system.
How much the 10111 system costs
Cachalia said no separate budget is allocated specifically to the Cisco telephony system used at 10111 Centres. The system forms part of the broader Saps Unified Communications environment, which is funded and managed holistically across the organisation.
“Consequently, the budget allocated and expenditure incurred specifically for the Cisco telephony system supporting the 10111 centres in each of the past five financial years could not be determined, as these costs are embedded within the overall Saps Unified Communications expenditure.”
The minister gave the amount spent on the GEMC3 and MDS, which support the 10111 centres. At least R18 million has been spent to ensure these systems successfully support the emergency hotline.
No upgrades, just maintenance
Cameron also asked whether any capital investment or upgrades had been made to the system, and Cachalia replied that none had; the system has only been maintained in line with the guidelines. He said the systems remained operational and were maintained through ongoing maintenance and support arrangements.
“No upgrades or enhancements were implemented on the Cisco telephony system during the period under review. The system was maintained in terms of the Service Level Agreement (SLA) between Saps and the State Information Technology Agency (Sita),” said Cachalia.
“Software licence, standby services and routine maintenance and support of GEMC3, and maintenance of the MDS system, are provided by Sita. No additional costs are being incurred to upgrade or expand the current systems.”
New system to be established
Cameron also asked whether there have been any plans of “introducing Computer-Aided Dispatch or similar technologies”. The minister said there has been a request for bid to replace one of the systems supporting the 10111 centres; however, it was cancelled and will be republished at a later stage.
“A request for bid (RFB) for an Incident Management System with Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) capability was advertised through Sita in 2025 to replace the current GEMC3 system. The bid was subsequently cancelled in April 2026. Sita is currently in the process of republishing the bid,” said Cachalia.
System becomes outdated
Cachalia said audits of the systems have revealed that part of the system has reached its official End-of-Life and End-of-Support status.
“The Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) infrastructure system has reached its official End-of-Life and End-of-Support status. As a result, software updates, security patches, and manufacturer technical support are no longer available. This presents operational, reliability, cybersecurity, and system sustainability risks.”
He also acknowledged a shortage of call centre agents, which has limited the hotline’s success.
“In addition, personnel shortages at 10111 Call Centres continue to place significant pressure on service delivery. The ratio of available Call Centre operators to incoming call volumes is not adequate to consistently meet demand, particularly during peak periods, which may contribute to delays in answering calls and places additional pressure on available personnel.”
Action taken and mitigation measures
“Saps has formally submitted a procurement and technical request to Sita for the establishment and implementation of a modern, fully supported communication solution to replace the obsolete infrastructure,” said the minister.
“The proposed intervention is intended to restore network stability, strengthen cybersecurity and compliance, improve system reliability, and ensure seamless communication channels across all affected provinces.
“SAPS continues to assess staffing requirements at 10111 Call Centres, with interventions aimed at strengthening human-resource capacity, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring that calls for police assistance are attended to promptly.”
Not a new issue
IOL in 2024 reported that former police minister Bheki Cele detailed the mess at the 10111 centre. He admitted that millions of calls were dropped every year, and only 40% of the required 10111 call centre personnel had been deployed over three years.
The call centres were meant to be staffed by 3 344 people, but as at April 2022 there were only 1 315 personnel.
In 2023, almost seven million calls went unanswered because there were no staff to take them.