Though a few of the questions we look at here may seem a bit obvious to you if you have a basic understanding about who and what a private investigator is, not everyone has the same knowledge, which is why answering some of the most FAQ’s may be helpful to you if you are planning to hire a private investigator in South Africa for the first time.

It’ll really help you to know a little more about the services a private investigator offers and what to look for in a private investigator, before you do the hiring.

Licensed private investigators have to be above-board and have a basic knowledge of law for any evidence gathered to carry weight, especially if it involves a court case.

Here we need to separate myth from fact, so that the image presented in the movies of PI’s skulking around in hats and a long coat, eating junk food and smoking up a storm while on surveillance, is dispelled in the face of what a truly experienced, professional private investigator is in real life.

There are no grey areas in the world of private investigators, The evidence is either there or it isn’t, there are no grey areas here in terms of evidence that is solid and not manufactured!

Is training and experience in the field important?

Absolutely! Becoming a private investigator involves specialised training on many levels, and, along with training, experience in the field is essential. He needs more than just a working knowledge of investigations to make a top class private investigator, especially if it’s he will be specialising in a full range of investigative services.

Can PI’s manipulate the law?

The answer to that is a definite no! Though a licensed private investigator may have more leeway than law enforcement agencies and the police do, they also have limits to what they can and can’t do, and these are limits that are enforced by the PSIRA.

Private investigators are able to assist the police services when their training, experience and connections will help to finally bring a case to court, due to the laws that bind the police beyond certain points in evidence gathering.

Is a PI different to a private detective?

There is no difference between a private investigator and private detective. The term ‘private investigator’ is what is used by a regularity body such as PSIRA in South Africa to keep things simple. 

The term private investigator helps to keep the line between law enforcement agencies such as the police services and private investigators clear, so that no-one is confused about which the other is.

Hiring the right PI

Once you’ve done a bit of research into PI’s in your area and narrowed down your list, be sure to ask for a licensing number so that you can verify that they are a bona fide firm that sticks to the rules and regulations of their industry.

Find out whether the private investigator you want to hire has the right type of experience to tackle your case. If a specific private investigator only specialises in business investigation, he won’t be of any use to you in finding proof of infidelity.

Be upfront about asking questions with regard to the background of the company before you actually hire the investigator because a solid reputation and track record always leads you to the best in the investigative field.

Services offered by PI’s

Experienced and highly trained private investigators will be able to do a cross-over of services, which could range from due diligence investigative services to polygraph testing and in-depth background checks, as well as experience in undercover surveillance for evidence on a cheating spouse.

Call on King Investigators in South Africa to wrap it all up!

King Investigators in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, South Africa, provide an impressive list of services, along with the knowledge that has been gained during 10 years’ worth of experience, both locally and internationally.

These guys wrap their sheer professionalism up in a tidy bundle of a commitment to quality, honesty and transparency, and King Investigators has also been around long enough to know exactly how to tailor an investigation according to the budget any client has.

Get your questions ready to put to the team at King Investigations. You’ll find that even the most common or basic questions about private investigators or their methods will be treated seriously by this team!