No installation fee
A qualified auto electrician fits a hardwired device in around 20 minutes for R300–R600. Contract providers usually fold installation into a 36-month package instead.
DIY Vehicle Tracking · South Africa
DIY Car Tracking in South Africa
Install GPS trackers on your own vehicles. Hardwired devices from R769, fitted by any auto electrician you trust in about 20 minutes — no 36-month contract, no callout fees, no waiting for a provider’s technician.
- ~20-minute install
- Two wires: red & black
- Any auto electrician
- You own the hardware
01 · Direct answer
Can a business install GPS trackers themselves in South Africa?
Yes — South African businesses can install GPS trackers on their own vehicles. The Tracking Co supplies hardwired devices outright (4G900L: R769, FMC920: R999), and any competent auto electrician can fit one in around 20 minutes: red wire to permanent 12V power, black to ground. You message the device ID to TTC on WhatsApp, the platform activates it, and the vehicle is live on your dashboard. No 36-month contract, no installation tied to one provider, no callout fee the next time you need to move the device to another vehicle.
That covers individual vehicle owners, owner-operators and fleets up to several hundred vehicles. The mechanics don’t change with scale — the same two wires, the same activation flow, the same hardware that belongs to you. The reason most South African businesses don’t know this is an option is that the major contract-based providers don’t sell it: their commercial model is built on three-year terms, and Cartrack’s and Netstar’s terms keep the hardware as their property.
02 · Why this matters
Why businesses install their own trackers
Six operational reasons fleet managers and business owners self-install — most of which the rental model can’t match.
No waiting on technicians
You don’t book a slot, you don’t lose a vehicle for a day. Install when it suits your operation — not when a provider’s service van is available.
Move trackers between vehicles
Pull the device out of one vehicle and reinstall it in another. The subscription follows the device. No service fee, no appointment, no waiting.
Sell the car, take the tracker
When you sell a vehicle, move the tracker to your next one. There’s no contract to transfer to the buyer and no transfer fee.
Scale at your own pace
Add ten vehicles this week, five more next month. Keep spare devices on hand. New vehicles are tracking within hours, not weeks.
Use any auto electrician you trust
In-house workshop, your own auto electrician, anyone with basic vehicle wiring experience. You’re not locked to a provider’s installer network.
03 · Devices
The two hardwired devices most businesses self-install
Both are owned outright from day one. Both use the same two-wire connection. Choose by use case, not by tier — the platform features are identical across every TTC device.
The hardwired workhorse
4G900L
R769 once-off · yours to keep
- Live GPS tracking + SVR-capable
- Relay-ready for engine cutoff (R199 add-on)
- Two-wire connection: red and black
- Suited to most light commercial use
Advanced fleet tracker
Teltonika FMC920
R999 once-off · yours to keep
- Built-in accelerometer + internal memory
- Advanced alerts and reporting
- Relay-ready for engine cutoff (R199 add-on)
- Suited to fleet operators who want depth
Need something for harsh environments (farm, plant, mining)? The Teltonika FMC880 (R1,199) is the weatherproof option. See the full hardware range or ask for a quote with the use case and we’ll recommend the right device.
04 · The install
How do you install a hardwired GPS tracker yourself?
High-level steps. Your auto electrician handles the routing; you handle the activation.
- 1
Connect two wires
Red wire to permanent 12V power (live even with the ignition off). Black wire to ground. Any qualified auto electrician knows where to find these in any vehicle.
- 2
Mount the device
Tucked behind the dashboard, away from heat. The antenna needs a clear view of the sky — your installer will know the spots that work.
- 3
WhatsApp the IMEI to TTC
Send the device IMEI number to The Tracking Co on WhatsApp. Our team activates it on the platform during business hours (8am–5pm).
- 4
Verify the vehicle is live
Open the TTC platform on web or mobile. The vehicle appears with a live position. You’re tracking.
Want the full step-by-step version, including the no-tools OBD route? Read our guide on how to install a GPS tracker yourself. Stuck mid-install? WhatsApp us — our team can confirm the device is reporting, check the platform-side configuration, and walk through any wiring question during business hours.
05 · Who fits it
Can I use any auto electrician for the install?
Yes. There’s no proprietary connector, no provider-only port, no software handshake that requires a branded fitment centre. A hardwired GPS tracker is a two-wire connection: power and ground. Any qualified auto electrician — or any in-house workshop staff member with vehicle wiring experience — can fit one. Typical labour cost is R300–R600 per vehicle, often less if you bring several at once.
For larger fleets, the freedom matters operationally as much as financially. You’re not waiting in a provider’s scheduling queue. You’re not paying a callout every time a vehicle joins or leaves the fleet. You’re not exposed to one fitment centre’s availability. You use the people you already trust, on your schedule, at a price you already know.
For comparison: contract providers usually fold installation into a 36-month package. Tracker’s terms waive the installation fee on 36-month contracts, and Netstar’s plans list no upfront payment. The cost of the device and fitting is recovered in the monthly fee instead.
06 · Insurance
Will my insurance accept a self-installed tracker?
In most cases, yes — and the legal precedent that’s often cited around tracker requirements actually supports self-installation. The 2025 Pretoria High Court ruling that gets quoted on this topic turned on whether an operational tracker was installed at the time of loss. The ruling did not address who installed the device. It addressed whether the device was working.
The Tracking Co’s devices are monitored on the platform, generate live alerts and report device status — they’re operational in exactly the sense the court was talking about. For a standard business vehicle, self-installation by a qualified auto electrician meets that standard.
The one caveat: high-value or financed vehicles sometimes have policy wording that prescribes a specific installer accreditation for cover above a threshold. If you’re tracking a vehicle in that bracket, ask your insurer in writing what they require before deciding. For the majority of business fleets, this isn’t a constraint.
07 · The hidden cost
What happens to a contract tracker when you sell the vehicle?
This is the moment the contract model gets expensive. Most fleet operators don’t think about it until it happens.
Cartrack
Two options on a sale: "change of ownership" (the buyer takes over the remaining 36-month contract) or "De-Re" (de-installation and re-installation to move the device to your next vehicle). The De-Re carries a once-off charge plus a replacement fee if the device can’t be retrieved from the old vehicle. Labour on the De-Re is waived if the contract is 30+ months old. If nobody wants the unit and there’s no replacement car, the contract requires 20 business days’ notice and you pay the remaining balance or R2,650, whichever is less. Cartrack’s price table (February 2026) lists R870 labour for a De-Re and R350 for a change of ownership.
Sources: cartrack.co.za (9 Jul 2025), cartrack.co.za (10 Jul 2025), Cartrack standard terms (Feb 2026).
Tracker
A unit transfer to another vehicle attracts a "service fee" and requires you to book an appointment for a technician to fit the unit. A change of ownership puts the buyer onto the remaining contract period. Cancellation triggers a settlement, which Tracker’s own terms note is reduced if you sign a new 36-month contract. Tracker’s guidance is to ask what transfer charge applies before requesting one — the figure isn’t publicly listed.
Sources: tracker.co.za/support, Tracker T&Cs PDF.
Netstar
Selling before the agreement ends: cancel (early-cancellation costs), keep paying the monthly fee to term, or let the new owner take over the contract. Selling at the end: transfer the device to your next vehicle (a charge for the transfer and/or a new unit), end the agreement (no cost, one calendar month’s notice), or the buyer starts fresh on the existing unit. The unit is the provider’s property — on early cancellation in the initial period, Netstar removes and recovers the device.
Source: netstar.co.za FAQ.
The Tracking Co
You remove the device and install it in your next vehicle. The subscription stays in place. There’s no transfer fee because there’s no transfer — the hardware was always yours. There’s no contract to hand to a buyer because there isn’t one. If you don’t need the device any more, keep it as a spare or cancel the subscription. Either way, the hardware stays in your hands.
See subscription pricing or request a quote.
Notice the difference in what’s published. Cartrack lists its fees: R870 labour for a De-Re and R350 for a change of ownership. Tracker and Netstar name the charges — "service fee," "transfer charge" — but don’t publish a rand amount for moving your tracker. You discover the cost when you need the service.
08 · Side by side
Self-installed vs contract tracking: what each model actually means
A direct comparison on the dimensions that matter operationally. Figures verified May 2026 from each provider’s own website or published terms.
| Dimension | The Tracking Co | Cartrack | Tracker | Netstar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | You own it outright — R769 once-off | Stays Cartrack’s under its terms · R1,699–R3,299 if bought separately | Not stated in its consumer terms | Rental · stays Netstar’s |
| Contract length | None — month-to-month or annual | 36 months, or month to month with a purchase price | 36 months, or month to month | 36-month rental contracts |
| Move tracker to a new vehicle | Do it yourself or use any auto electrician | "De-Re" · R870 labour fee · technician only · labour waived after 30 months | "Service fee" · book an appointment with a technician | Charge for transfer and/or new unit · provider removes and reinstalls |
| Sell your vehicle | Remove the tracker, install it in your next vehicle, keep your subscription | Buyer takes over contract OR pay De-Re to move it | Buyer takes over contract OR settlement applies | Buyer takes over OR cancel (early-cancellation costs) OR pay to transfer |
| Cancellation | Any time · no penalty · nothing to hand back | 20 business days’ notice · contract balance or R2,650, whichever is less | A fixed amount set by contract year · reduced if you sign a new 36-month contract | 20 business days’ notice · early-cancellation costs in initial period · provider removes unit |
| Published monthly cost | R50 / device · R45 on annual | From R99 (cartrack.co.za, Nov 2026) · R199–R335 on typical 36-month packages (AutoTrader, Feb 2026) | From R139 to R229 · R69 crash detection only (tracker.co.za, Nov 2026) | R89 (STARtag) to R199 (Early Warning), 36-month rental (netstar.co.za, Nov 2026) |
| Published cost to move device | R0 if you do it yourself · electrician’s fee if you outsource | R870 labour fee (Cartrack price table, Feb 2026) | Not publicly published | Not publicly published |
Sources: Cartrack pricing & cancellation, Cartrack standard terms, Tracker support, Tracker vehicle tracking, Netstar FAQ, Netstar personal plans, AutoTrader pricing comparison. Competitor pricing changes — verify on a live quote before relying on any rand figure.
09 · At scale
DIY for fleets — scale on your own schedule
The self-install model is at its strongest at fleet scale. A fleet of twenty vehicles that adds three trucks a month doesn’t want to wait for a provider’s installer; it wants spare units on hand and a workshop manager who can fit them. The Tracking Co supports exactly that operation — buy hardware in volume, keep spares, install in-house, manage everything from one platform account.
Larger fleet operators also use this model to consolidate trackers across previously-mixed providers. Buy TTC devices, fit them as old contracts roll off, and operate the whole fleet on one platform without a single contract obligation.
See fleet tracking → 10 · Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Can a business install GPS trackers itself in South Africa?
Yes. The Tracking Co sells hardwired devices outright from R769. Any qualified auto electrician — in-house or external — can wire one in around 20 minutes by connecting two wires: red to permanent 12V power (live even with the ignition off), black to ground. Once installed, you message the device IMEI to TTC on WhatsApp, the platform activates it, and the vehicle appears live on your dashboard.
How long does a hardwired install actually take?
Around 20–30 minutes for a competent auto electrician. The device has two wires that need to be connected to power and ground, plus a mounting location with antenna sky view. A small fleet can be done back-to-back in a single morning.
Will my insurance accept a self-installed tracker?
In most cases, yes. The 2025 Pretoria High Court ruling often cited around tracker requirements turned on whether an operational tracker was installed at the time of loss — not on who installed it. The Tracking Co’s devices are monitored, generate alerts and report device status on the platform, which meets the operational standard. For high-value or financed vehicles, check your specific policy wording: some insurers do prescribe a particular installer for cover above certain thresholds.
What happens to a TTC tracker when I sell the vehicle?
You remove it and install it in your next vehicle, or keep it on hand as a spare. The hardware belongs to you. Your subscription stays in place. You don’t pay anyone to transfer the device, and the buyer doesn’t inherit your contract — because there isn’t one.
What happens to a contract tracker when I sell the vehicle?
It depends on the provider. Cartrack’s terms keep the unit as Cartrack’s property and Netstar’s retail plans are rentals; Tracker’s consumer terms don’t say who owns the unit. The usual options are: hand the contract to the buyer (a "change of ownership"), pay to move the device to your next vehicle, or pay early-cancellation costs. Cartrack publishes its fees: R350 for a change of ownership, R870 to de-install or re-install, and the lesser of the contract balance or R2,650 to cancel early. Tracker and Netstar say these charges apply but don’t publish amounts, so ask.
When should I not self-install?
If your insurer specifically requires installation by a VESA or SAQCC-accredited fitment centre for cover on a high-value or financed vehicle, use one of those installers. Get that requirement in writing from your insurer before deciding. For most business fleets, self-installation by a qualified auto electrician meets insurer requirements without an accreditation gap.
Can I install an OBD plug-and-play tracker instead?
Yes. The TTC OBD Mini (R499) plugs into the vehicle’s OBD-II port — no wiring at all. It’s the simplest entry point. The trade-off is no engine cutoff capability and visibility in the OBD port, which is why fleet operators tend to prefer hardwired devices.
What if I run into a problem during installation?
Message The Tracking Co on WhatsApp during business hours (8am–5pm). Our team can verify the device is reporting, check the platform-side configuration and walk through any wiring questions. If a device arrives faulty, we replace it.
Track on your own terms.
Hardware from R769, fitted by anyone you trust, activated over WhatsApp. No 36-month contract. No callout fees. The hardware belongs to you.