A wine farm in South Africa has taken to drone technology to protect its assets.
Nederburg Wine Estate in the Paarl area in South Africa’s Western Cape province has introduced aerial surveillance using docked drones as part of its ongoing property management and asset protection efforts.
The service is provided by 24/7 Drone Force, the drone wing of 24/7 Security Services, which offers docked drone technology for remote surveillance through preprogrammed missions monitored by licensed Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) remote pilot operators at a central command centre.
“Nederburg uses drones as part of its estate security measures to help monitor the property and protect equipment and assets,” the estate said. “While occasional petty crime is a consideration, the approach is proactive, supporting our security team in keeping watch over an extensive estate.”
The drone company confirmed the development.
“24/7 Drone Force has deployed a docked drone solution at a prominent Western Cape wine estate, embracing remote operations to support perimeter-based surveillance, infrastructure protection, and site surveying,” the company said.
“The solution will assist with monitoring and documenting site changes throughout the harvest season, providing greater visibility and operational awareness while reducing the need for routine physical inspections.
“This is a significant step forward in demonstrating how remote operated drone technology can enhance security, asset protection, and operational efficiency in the agricultural sector.
“Well done to everyone involved in making this deployment a reality!”
The drones are programmed to conduct missions and are controlled and monitored remotely by licensed operators at a central command centre, where personnel can oversee multiple sites.
The permanently stationed docking unit eliminates the need for travel and set-up before operations, while the drones can be launched in approximately two minutes.
The technology has an operational radius of up to five kilometres from its base station and a charging time of approximately 25 minutes.
Charging can be interrupted when necessary to accommodate a Drone First Response (DFR) deployment.
Thermal camera technology enables low-light and night operations, while the system can provide a live video stream to first responders. It is also compatible with artificial intelligence (AI) for vehicle and human detection.
24/7 Drone Force states its docked drone solutions can be integrated with third-party software platforms, allowing customers to connect the technology to their existing security systems.
Other features include the ability to operate in adverse weather conditions within limitations, survey-grade capabilities and a design intended to reduce operator fatigue by allowing pilots to work from a protected environment. The docking station can also be mounted on a customised off-grid trailer for isolated or temporary operations.
The estate highlighted that the aerial technology provides an additional layer of oversight while operating within legal boundaries.
“As many South African businesses and households will appreciate, being mindful of security and taking sensible precautions is part of looking after a property responsibly,” the estate said.
“The drones provide an additional tool to help us do that, with operations conducted in accordance with all applicable South African legal and aviation requirements. Only Nederburg’s own premises is included in the surveillance.”
For years the theft of fresh produce has been a problem in Paarl, costing farmers in the area thousands of rands.